Chapter 5 Please don't think that I have no choice but you 1
Qiu Zhuoping was fast asleep on his desk, his black suit jacket covering himself as a blanket. His bangs, which had been sprayed with hairspray, looked a little messy after a night of use, with a few strands of hair hanging down slightly and resting on his forehead.
Chen Yiying walked to the desk and stared at his profile quietly. There seemed to be a trace of desolation between his brows. Even in his dreams, his brows were furrowed. Yiying had tried her best to understand him and enter his world, but in the end it was in vain.
What is his world like? Does she exist?
Sometimes I really don't understand you. You are always hot and cold. When I feel warm, you turn away. When I feel desperate, you hug me in your arms. Don't you want to tell me even an explanation?
Yiying smiled bitterly. She wanted to reach out and smooth the wrinkles between his brows, but she paused just a few inches away.
Maybe I shouldn't ask you anything anymore. From the moment you left without saying a word, the line between us has been drawn, right?
Yiying withdrew her hand, turned around and wanted to leave the office.
"Brother Zhuoping, I bought you breakfast."
Liu Jiaran pushed the door open and the smile on her face gradually froze. The sandwich in her hand fell to the ground, followed by a loud slap.
Qiu Zhuoping was awakened by the sound and he looked up. Liu Jiaran looked down at Yiying, while Yiying covered her face and looked at her in surprise.
"Why do you hit me?"
"I have never seen a woman like you. I finally separated you from Brother Zhuo Ping, but you are so shameless that you insist on sticking to him! Do you think you can become a phoenix if you fly to a tree? I tell you, people like you are still crows even if you fly to a tree!"
Chen Yiying raised her hands in frustration. She would never accept such humiliation.
But just as her slap was about to land, another hand tightly grasped her wrist, making it difficult for her to move.
"Qiu Zhuoping!" Chen Yiying glared at Qiu Zhuoping fiercely. Did he still choose to help Liu Jiaran at this time? That uneducated rich girl!
A "pop" sound was heard.
Yiying stood there in a daze. She turned her head and looked at Liu Jiaran who slapped her again. At this moment, Liu Jiaran smiled triumphantly and carefully stroked his manicured fingers with a look of disdain on his face.
"You guys! You've gone too far!" Yiying didn't want to cry in front of them. She held back her tears, bit her lips tightly, pushed Liu Jiaran away and ran out of the company.
From the moment Qiu Zhuoping completely disappeared from her world, she swore that she would never cry again, at least not for him. But when he allowed Liu Jiaran to slap her twice, she still couldn't control her tears.
She hid in the elevator, tears bursting out. She had never thought that she was so weak, and could be so vulnerable when facing love. She thought she was independent enough to withstand any storms in life, but Qiu Zhuoping was the only obstacle she could not cross. She fell and got hurt again and again in front of this obstacle, and healed her wounds again and again. If possible, she hoped that the slowly descending elevator would never stop, so that she could shed all her tears and no longer feel sad...
"Brother Zhuoping, I am really touched by your actions just now. I didn't expect you to help..."
"Snapped!"
The sound of the slap landing on the face was extremely crisp, and Liu Jiaran didn't even finish his words.
She covered her face in astonishment and looked up at Qiu Zhuoping, who had a gloomy look on his face. His face was filled with lingering anger and terror, as if warning Liu Jiaran.
"This slap is to repay you on behalf of Chen Yiying."
"Brother Zhuoping, what I do is..."
The slapping startled the colleagues outside the office, and everyone looked towards the open door. The news that the general manager hit Secretary Liu quickly spread throughout the company, like a boiling pot.
"This slap is for your childish behavior. If you do something that hurts others and yourself again, don't blame me for being rude."
"Brother Zhuoping, how could you hit me for that woman?" Liu Jiaran's eyes were filled with tears. No one had ever dared to hit her. Her parents had always doted on her and dared not speak loudly to her. And the man she loved so much actually hit her for another woman!
"Watch your mouth! Don't think I don't know that it was you who fired Yang Zhili and stole Chen Yiying's plan. It was you who arranged for Mr. Zhao to be there, too, right? The more you act like this, the more disgusting it makes me feel!" Qiu Zhuoping walked to the desk with disdain, opened the blinds and looked at the scenery outside the window.
Liu Jiaran left the office crying in frustration.
People in the company were talking about it, wondering what had happened between the three of them.
The elevator door slowly opened. Before that, Yiying had already wiped away her tears. She was afraid that others would see her ugly face when the door opened, and she was afraid of being laughed at by others. She was a person with such a strong self-esteem that she would never allow herself to cry in front of outsiders.
However, the moment the elevator door opened, she felt a strange gaze, a familiar one, because the person looking at her with surprise was Zhong Jialiang, the senior whom she had never contacted since graduation.
"I heard you work here, turns out it's true, long time no see."
Although the familiar smile did not stir up any ripples in Yiying's heart, it made her recall the green days in college. The warm and gentle boy suddenly became distant. He was wearing a slim grey suit with a dark blue striped satin tie hanging naturally from his chest. His skin was whiter than before.
Yiying always thought that Zhong Jialiang had deep features, and after he cut his hair into a flat top, she felt that his features became even deeper. His straight nose and deep eye sockets made him look like a mixed-race.
I used to hear that a handsome guy is best suited to a crew cut, and maybe that’s true, because now Zhong Jialiang looks very capable and masculine.
"Long time no see..." Yiying unconsciously pushed the bangs that fell on her cheeks behind her ears. She never thought that she would see Zhong Jialiang again. She remembered that she attended his graduation ceremony the year he graduated.
At that time, he was wearing a bachelor's gown and was surrounded by girls holding bouquets of flowers. He walked out of the crowd, put his arm around Yiying's shoulders, and took a photo together like a brother and sister.
Every time Yiying looks at old photos, she feels that Zhong Jialiang’s smile is very warm, making people feel friendly and approachable, but not heart-moving.
"Have you had lunch? I know a very good Japanese restaurant. I remember you like salmon. Would you be so kind as to go with me?" Zhong Jialiang showed a smile that only a warm man could have. He made an inviting gesture and pointed at his royal blue car parked at the door.
Yiying looked at his actions and found them a little funny, then accepted his invitation.
Zhong Jialiang took a few steps forward and opened the car door for her, making a "please" gesture. After she got in the car, he smiled and closed the door, walked around the front of the car and opened the driver's door.
At this time, Qiu Zhuoping, who was standing by the blinds, witnessed the entire process of the royal blue car slowly driving away.
The car stopped at the entrance of a Japanese-style restaurant with a wooden structure. There was no door at the entrance of the restaurant, only two Japanese-style door curtains, which looked particularly exquisite. Zhong Jialiang got out of the car first, and he opened the door for Yiying very gentlemanly.
"This Japanese restaurant is quite authentic and the salmon is especially fresh," Zhong Jialiang introduced.
Chen Yiying stepped out of the car and looked at the restaurant with a sign written in Japanese. The receptionist standing behind the door curtain was also wearing an exquisite kimono.
Zhong Jialiang closed the car door and walked into the restaurant with Yiying.
The restaurant is almost entirely made of wood. The light brown floor is spotless. The wooden screens are painted with cherry blossoms and women in kimonos. The waitresses in the restaurant are all wearing kimonos of different styles. Their tall wooden clogs make soft sounds as they step on the floor. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by a rectangle. The chefs are dressed very neatly, wearing gloves and masks, and are making sushi and sashimi carefully.
This was Yiying's first time to visit this unique Japanese restaurant. The delicious smell of sushi filled the air. There were many exquisite ornaments on the walls, and Japanese dolls were placed on the guests' tables. The environment was very elegant.
They chose a quiet spot and ordered a couple's meal.
The set meal is also very simple, a large mixed sushi platter, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of noodles. The rice is eel rice, the noodles are tung bone ramen, and there are some snacks, all of which are the specialties here.
"It looks very good." Yiying picked up the chopsticks and said "I'm eating" in Japanese, then picked up a thick piece of salmon and put it into her mouth.
The taste of salmon immediately fills your mouth, fat but not greasy, with a taste of the deep sea that leaves you with an endless aftertaste.
"It seems that you really like salmon. No wonder you followed Qiu Zhuoping when you went to eat Western food with me." Zhong Jialiang looked at Yiying's satisfied face and couldn't help laughing. He picked up the Japanese teacup and took a few sips of rice tea. "But there are very few girls who eat salmon without dipping it in anything."
That way the freshness of the fish can stay better on your taste buds.
Yiying wanted to answer like this, but when she looked at Zhong Jialiang, she found that he didn't really care about it. What he cared about was probably that two years ago, she left the table with Qiu Zhuoping in front of him and went to eat Japanese food.
"Actually, I had something to tell you that day, but Qiu Zhuoping suddenly showed up, and I..."
"I also had something to say at the time, so why don't I say it first?"
"Then you speak first." Yiying put down her chopsticks, and suddenly felt that this atmosphere was very strange. Two years ago, she wanted to seriously reject him, but she didn't expect Qiu Zhuoping's appearance to disrupt everything. Two years later, she wanted to speak, but he blocked her back.
"In fact, I have always wanted to tell you that no matter whether Qiu Zhuoping appears or not, I will not give up pursuing you. Chen Yiying, you know, you are the most special girl I have ever seen. You have a face that looks very smart, and you have a height comparable to that of boys, but you are so innocent that it makes people laugh. You are carefree, do things vigorously, and keep to yourself, which makes people feel very handsome. Girls like you look terrifying, not to mention that there is Qiu Zhuoping by your side. Probably, except for me, no boy dares to touch Qiu Zhuoping's majesty, right?"
For a moment, Chen Yiying didn't know what to say. It seemed that any words seemed powerless at this moment. Mentioning Qiu Zhuoping was like touching the softest and most painful place in Chen Yiying's heart.
"I know that, for you, Qiu Zhuoping is a beautiful scar. Although I cannot make this scar disappear, I will try my best to smooth it out. I hope I am also important to you." Zhong Jialiang looked at Chen Yiying lovingly, reached out and took her hand, holding it in his own hands, as if protecting her. His warm smile was like the cherry blossoms blooming on the screen, as if they would never fade.
"Although we haven't seen each other for two years, I have never forgotten you in these two years. I want to finish what I couldn't finish two years ago. Are you willing to give me a chance and let me be your boyfriend? Maybe I can't compare to Qiu Zhuoping's position in your heart, but I won't leave without saying goodbye. If you are willing, just nod your head, you don't have to tell me the answer..."
At this moment, Chen Yiying was at a loss. She didn't know whether she should accept Zhong Jialiang's kindness. Zhong Jialiang was indeed no worse than Qiu Zhuoping, but Qiu Zhuoping had a preconceived notion. Perhaps the person who really cared for her was Zhong Jialiang, but the person who came to her mind was Qiu Zhuoping.
Maybe people are like this, the better someone is to you, the harder it is for you to cherish them; the more untouchable someone is, the more you want to fight for them. She knew that her relationship with Qiu Zhuoping ended two years ago, but she couldn't let it go.
But how can I let it go? He was so cold and indifferent that he didn't even say a word of explanation.
She had only wanted to find someone who loved her and live a simple life. But after meeting Qiu Zhuoping, everything became difficult. She realized that emotional entanglements could not be explained in a few words, and those involved were often confused...
The white car stopped at the door of the Japanese restaurant, and the owner walked into the restaurant without even locking the car. The waiter in the restaurant said "Welcome" in Japanese, but the man who came in did not intend to sit down, he was searching for something. After confirming the target, the man walked in a certain direction.
"Zhong Jialiang, actually I..."
A slightly cool hand fell on Chen Yiying's wrist, and the hand that was originally held by Zhong Jialiang was taken away by the man who suddenly walked over. Chen Yiying didn't even have time to finish the words of refusal before Qiu Zhuoping, who had entered her sight, pulled her away.
It was as if the minty back made the summer cooler, and he lifted the breeze curtain. The hot wind blew the summer heat onto her cheeks, and when the light passed through the curtain and shone into her pupils, the man who loved her domineeringly seemed to have returned.
