Bullying The Sister-In-Law - Chapter 20.1

It was New Year’s Eve night. Liu Chengxu lay alone in bed. Why was she so certain Su Zhiluo would return? She thought she understood Su Zhiluo; Su Zhiluo wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone to celebrate the New Year because Liu Chengxu knew she held a place in Su Zhiluo’s heart.

Now, all of that was overturned.

Su Zhiluo was quite heartless.

Liu Chengxu fell into a daze, a profound emptiness, struck by enormous disappointment. She tried to do something to ease the feeling, but her internal system seemed to be constantly breaking down. The only thing she could do was pick up her phone, check the time, and keep waiting. As long as it wasn’t past midnight, there was still a chance.

As time elapsed, the answer became clearer, tormenting her.

After the pain had lasted for a while, she felt a slight sense of clarity.

It was probably better that Su Zhiluo hadn’t come back. She wouldn’t cling to her as fiercely as before.

This time, it must surely work.

Meanwhile, in Guangzhou, Su Zhiluo kept staring at her phone. She wanted to go back but was hesitant. By the time she finally decided to buy a ticket, they were all sold out—not even standing room was available.

This was Su Zhiluo’s first experience with the Spring Festival travel rush.

After that, she checked for tickets every day, but they were all completely unavailable. Sometimes she thought: perhaps this was fate’s arrangement, preventing her from getting a ticket, allowing Liu Chengxu to stop having expectations for her. Maybe this was their best outcome.

Theoretically, she should have felt relieved thinking this way. However, she was desperately afraid of losing something. The more obstacles heaven placed in their way, the more she thought of Liu Chengxu, the more she yearned to see her.

Thus, amidst this pain, she also clearly realized:

If she lost Liu Chengxu, there would be no one else in the world who would treat her wholeheartedly, no one who would remember her, warm her, save money to buy her a necklace…

Su Zhiluo’s fingertips repeatedly rubbed the little bead on her neck. This apartment was stifling her severely. She pushed open the door and walked out, her mind filled with the image of that rented room.

Most shops along the street had already closed for the holiday, with only a few scattered stalls selling Spring Festival couplets and fruit still set up by the road. Everything was festive red, and the faces of passersby were marked with holiday smiles.

She remembered in Beishi, no matter what she said to her, Liu Chengxu would always be standing under the lamp, waiting to walk her home, her face flushed red from the cold.

Su Zhiluo struggled to walk a few steps before feeling completely exhausted. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, each step incredibly difficult.

She silently lit up her phone screen.

Liu Chengxu hadn’t sent her a message.

It was 11:30 PM.

Su Zhiluo sent her a red envelope .

11:40 PM.

Su Zhiluo called her.

For the first few seconds, no one answered. Su Zhiluo’s hands trembled slightly. Just as the call was about to automatically disconnect, the line connected.

Su Zhiluo’s throat felt severely constricted.

There was silence on the other end. If the call hadn’t clearly been connected, she would have doubted if anyone was actually there.

Su Zhiluo spoke first. She asked, “Why didn’t you accept the red envelope?”

Liu Chengxu’s voice was indifferent. She said, “Isn’t it still before midnight?”

Su Zhiluo’s throat was dry.

She still forced a smile and said, “Is that so?”

After that, a long silence ensued.

The sound of firecrackers could be heard on both ends; the New Year atmosphere was thick.

Liu Chengxu clenched and unclenched her hand. She said, “Is it my turn to ask now?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Liu Chengxu’s breathing was distinct, carrying a heavy tremor. She asked, “Did you forget about me?”

The knife finally fell, plunging into Su Zhiluo’s chest, cautiously rotating as it entered. Liu Chengxu said, “How could you leave me alone here, then act like nothing happened and send me a red envelope just to check if I’m dead, and then continue to comfortably be my sister-in-law?”

“Su Zhiluo, you want me to be happy, right?”

Su Zhiluo “mm-hmm’ed.”

“Your rejection is nothing but a prolonged, agonizing torture.”

Liu Chengxu had read too many romance novels. She finally spoke a meaningful sentence, expressing her feelings and pain vividly.

Su Zhiluo’s eyes moistened unconsciously. Feeling wronged deep down, she explained, “That’s not…”

Liu Chengxu cut her off, saying, “I must make things very difficult for you, huh? You have a home you can’t return to.”

As she said this, Liu Chengxu probably understood why she could never truly like this place. To her, this was just a rented room; all she saw was mold, dampness, narrowness, and gloom, with a foul smell filling the air.

But to Su Zhiluo, this place was the love nest she shared with her sister. During that period when their relationship was unacceptable and opposed by family, this place sheltered the poor couple from the wind and rain. They embraced and kissed here, standing together against the “back-to-south” damp weather and the cold winter nights.

It wasn’t that she hated this place; it was this place that was rejecting her.

She found that the one thing she most wanted to say was merely:

The past is the past, please look at me.

As she was about to speak, the crackling sound of firecrackers and the booming of fireworks erupted in her ears.

It was as if everything was preventing her from speaking. She thought she heard Su Zhiluo say something, but she couldn’t catch it clearly. Su Zhiluo must have only said “Happy New Year,” certainly nothing like “I love you too” or “I’ll give you a chance.”

In any case, she had no happiness to speak of.

The New Year firecrackers continued for a long time. Su Zhiluo knew Liu Chengxu couldn’t hear her at this moment, but she said:

“It’s not that I didn’t want to come back; I couldn’t. I couldn’t buy a ticket. I didn’t know the Spring Festival travel rush made tickets so hard to get.”

She spoke all the longing she had kept hidden in her heart for the entire year.

Some impatient firecrackers went off crackling before midnight, while others slowly dragged on until the latter half of the night, sporadically exploding until two or three in the morning.

When the echo of the last firecracker died out, the world returned to silence.

A piece of her heart felt empty too.

Liu Chengxu said, “Happy New Year…” She paused, “Su Zhiluo.”

“If you don’t like me, fine.”

“I will still like you this year.”

“Happy New Year. I will like you the most in this world. I wish you smooth sailing, peace, and joy.”

This night was filled first with the annoying sound of firecrackers, then with children who seemed to spring up from nowhere, lighting up firecrackers that made the entire building rumble, followed by car noises, starting and stopping, interspersed with a woman’s complaints and a man’s curses, and finally, the howling of the north wind swirling through the different floors.

Liu Chengxu couldn’t sleep and pulled the blanket over her head.

The air conditioner, which Su Zhiluo had bought for her to ensure she slept comfortably, had been installed on the second day of her winter break. Liu Chengxu had used it for the first few days, but then stopped, thinking it was too much electricity for one person. Now, she was terribly cold, shaking all over. The quilt beneath her felt as if it had been soaked in water, both cold and wet.

A cramp of pain shot through Liu Chengxu’s stomach. Only then did she remember she hadn’t eaten anything since morning. The New Year’s Eve reunion dinner she had prepared was still on the table, untouched.

She occasionally spoke reckless words, angry remarks like “I might as well starve to death.” But deep down, she still cherished her life.

In the morning, she cooked the fried rice she had bought, simply adding sugar water, and ate it. While rubbing her stomach, she scrolled through her phone. Su Zhiluo had sent her a red envelope. In the past, she never accepted them, but now she accepted all the living expenses and various holiday red envelopes she sent.

Originally, she planned to put the money in a separate account to return to Su Zhiluo later. But one time, seeing her own money mixed with Su Zhiluo’s, she suddenly imagined a future she never dared to conceive.

The more intertwined they became, the deeper the love.

Liu Chengxu typed: Happy New Year.

Su Zhiluo replied: What are you doing today?

Liu Chengxu’s plan had been to spend the New Year with her, watching TV, playing games, and then going out to see fireworks and visit a temple fair. Now that Su Zhiluo wasn’t there, she was alone. She replied: Meeting Meng Zhengyue.

Then, she sent another line: What about you?

Su Zhiluo: Drawing patterns for the new quarter’s spring collection.

Liu Chengxu: Okay.

The other side remained “typing…” Su Zhiluo wanted to say something but didn’t know what to send. Liu Chengxu helped continue the conversation: It’s snowing.

Su Zhiluo: Is it heavy?

Liu Chengxu: Do you want to see the snow?

Su Zhiluo: Mm-hmm.

Liu Chengxu walked to the window and took a photo. Outside, it was a vast expanse of white. Snowflakes rushed to the ground, looking like fluttering jade butterflies under the streetlights.

She sent it: Do you miss the winter snow?

It doesn’t snow in Guangzhou. The other side was silent for a long time, seemingly deleting and re-editing. Finally, the message came: Why aren’t you wearing gloves.

Liu Chengxu: Heartless.

She seemed deliberate, writing and drawing on the balcony railing with her finger. She took a picture and sent it to Su Zhiluo.

She had written on the railing: I miss Su Zhiluo very much.

Su Zhiluo love

Liu Chengxu added: I didn’t write my own name. If you really miss the winter snow, you can save it.

Liu Chengxu grabbed a handful of snow, clutching it in her hands. Her quickly freezing red hands soon started to warm up.

Just then, there was a knock on Liu Chengxu’s door.

Her heart leaped. Her eyes immediately locked onto the door. She first raised a hand to press her chest, then quickly went into the bathroom to fix her hair. Only then did she take a deep breath and go to open the door.

Standing outside was Meng Zhengyue, shaking the snow off her umbrella. Meng Zhengyue raised an eyebrow in confusion at Liu Chengxu’s formal demeanor: “Hm?”

Liu Chengxu asked, “Why are you here?”