Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 20

Zhou Siyu emerged from the bathroom to find Xu You sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers resting motionlessly on the screen as if lost in thought.

Though Xu You showed no expression or movement, Zhou Siyu could sense a faint tension in the air, dry and brittle, as if a single spark could set it ablaze.

She stood frozen for nearly a minute, watching the bright screen gradually dim and go dark. The person holding the phone remained as still as a statue, showing no reaction.

“What’s wrong?” Frowning, Zhou Siyu walked over to Xu You, her voice unconsciously softening.

Only when her shadow fell over Xu You did the latter finally stir, slowly lifting her head. Her pale face was framed by a pair of glistening, tear-filled eyes that shimmered like rippling water, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

Zhou Siyu gently tucked the stray hairs behind Xu You’s ear and patted her head. “What’s the matter? Are you unwell, or is something bothering you? Tell me.”

Her tone held no threat or harshness, only concern.

“N-nothing’s wrong,” Xu You replied, meeting those deep, dark eyes without letting her own waver. “It’s just my first day at work, and I’m a bit tired. I was just looking at the drawings I made this afternoon. Would you like to see?”

As she spoke, she tapped the screen as if to unlock it and show her work.

Zhou Siyu straightened up and gave her a measured glance. Xu You’s nervousness was obvious, but the first day of work could indeed leave one overwhelmed and slow to recover. Besides, the girl was known to become so anxious about professional matters that she’d lose sleep and appetite. It wasn’t impossible that these factors had left her unsettled.

“We’ll take a closer look tonight,” Zhou Siyu said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “There’s a guest downstairs. Go keep them company for a while, I’ll join you after I change.”

“I…” Xu You hesitated, but under Zhou Siyu’s questioning gaze, she nodded.

One headed to the walk-in closet, the other trudged heavily downstairs.

No matter how slowly she moved, the distance between the second and first floor was too short to justify delaying for ten or twenty minutes. Standing at the foot of the stairs, Xu You looked down and saw Lu Ang lounging casually in the center of the leather sofa. His long legs, clad in cargo pants, were sprawled carelessly apart, while he fiddled with a black phone as if it were a playing card. Aunt Zhang was busy in the kitchen, leaving him to relax as comfortably as if he were in his own home.

Xu You shot him a helpless look. He might appear respectable, but his actions were anything but.

Sensing her gaze, the man on the sofa stopped what he was doing and looked up directly, catching sight of Xu You not far away. Seeing her irritated expression, a mischievous smile spread across his face. He set his phone aside and crooked two fingers, beckoning her over.

Discovered by the creep, Xu You had nowhere to hide. Though she’d already torn him to shreds in her mind, she had no choice but to approach him.

“Hurry up,” the scheming jerk mouthed at her silently.

Seeing no way out, Xu You decided to get it over with. She took two steps at a time, rushing down the dozen or so stairs until she stood right in front of him.

They faced off, Lu Ang wearing his usual sly grin, Xu You clenching her fists at her sides, already calculating where she could punch him without Zhou Siyu noticing.

“Move over,” Xu You hissed under her breath, glaring at him.

The sight of his spindly legs alone was enough to infuriate her.

Lu Ang raised a finger to his ear, rubbing the earlobe. “What? Speak up, I can’t hear you.”

He seemed to have forgotten that Xu You was no pushover, at least not the kind he could easily manipulate. As soon as his words fell, a familiar, sharp pain shot through the top of his foot, just like that night.

No, it hurt even more than that night.

The pain instantly shot to his brain. Lu Ang let out a muffled groan, his muscles reflexively pulling his leg back. Just as he was about to scold Xu You, he saw her quickly move to the farthest seat from him, a smug smile on her lips, her eyes sparkling with energy.

“A good dog doesn’t block the way,” she said, hugging her arms and laughing freely, though her constantly shifting gaze betrayed her inner tension.

Lu Ang gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to rub his foot. Instead, he discreetly flexed his toes. “You’re something else.”

Xu You remained in a defensive posture, her feet tense inside her fluffy slippers, ready to strike at any moment. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Your uncle!” Lu Ang couldn’t stand her mix of arrogance and caution.

Xu You stole a glance toward the kitchen, where Aunt Zhang was busy at the stove. There was no movement upstairs, so she decided to confront him directly.

“My father is an only child. I don’t have an uncle. Why are you so insistent on adding me? And where did you get my WeChat?”

Lu Ang returned to his usual nonchalant demeanor. Before Xu You could get more agitated, he said lazily, “Where else? Old Zhou gave it to me.”

Xu You froze, all her assumptions collapsing in an instant.

Zhou Siyu gave it to her? Why?

She found it hard to believe that the sister who had just been so gentle and caring toward her would push her toward a creep, toward a pit of fire. Could it be that she was just a plaything to be exchanged among their friends?

“As for why I added you, I told you the first time we met, I think you’re interesting.”

“Secondly, I want to have you.”

Lu Ang kindly answered all her questions, but when he saw her wounded expression and the tear trembling on her eyelashes, his heart jolted.

For the first time, he felt flustered around a girl. He had been the one to provoke her, and he had even taken pleasure in the thought of seeing her upset. But now, witnessing it firsthand, a long-lost sense of guilt surged within him.

Panicked and at a loss, he pulled his legs back and sat up straight, his mouth agape but unable to form words. He pulled a tissue from the box on the coffee table and held it out to Xu You from a distance, even showing a pleading expression.

The teardrop, pulled by gravity, finally fell, landing heavily on the back of Lu Ang’s hand, scorching and searing.

Xu You felt nauseated at the sight of the hand extended toward her, its distinct knuckles and faintly protruding veins. Shame prevented her from crying in front of him. She quickly snatched the tissue and pressed it to her nose and mouth, while her other hand wasn’t idle, it slapped against his wrist with a sharp crack.

Lu Ang was so stunned he forgot to pull his hand back. The fair skin slowly reddened, marked by the shape of four fingers.

“Get lost,” Xu You said, her voice trembling with tears as she pinched her nose.

In the kitchen, Aunt Zhang paused her cooking at the sound of the slap. She pricked up her ears, listening carefully for a moment, but hearing nothing else, she rolled her eyes and continued cooking.

“Little brat, you pack quite a punch,” Lu Ang said slowly, placing his hand on his leg and rubbing the red, swollen spot.

Xu You didn’t respond or look at him. She secretly wiped the moisture from her cheeks, bit her lip, and seriously contemplated her place in Zhou Siyu’s heart.

Company, friends, partners, her, how much did she truly weigh in the balance…

Footsteps sounded from upstairs. Her thoughts had distracted her enough to stop the tears, but the sorrow in her eyes remained. She lowered her gaze, using her nails to dig into the flesh at the side of her finger. The hard nails scraped deeply, leaving tiny spots of blood, but she felt no pain. She repeated the motion, over and over.

“Youyou.” Zhou Siyu called out from the center of the staircase.

Seeing no response from her, he raised his voice, his tone sharpening: “Xu You.”

“She just kicked something and hurt her foot, she’s in so much pain she’s shedding golden tears.” Lu Ang lowered his hand.

Zhou Siyu glanced at each of them indifferently and said coolly, “Stop bullying her.”

Xu You’s control slipped; her nail caught on a hangnail and tore away a layer of skin. Bright red beads of blood welled up and rolled down.

If she hadn’t misunderstood, his words indirectly confirmed that she was being shared between them.

Her vision blurred, and she could no longer hear their conversation. Pain turned into a thick haze, leaving her dazed and disheartened.

“Why are you so careless?” Zhou Siyu approached, noticing the injury, and pinched the tip of her finger.

Xu You yanked her hand back forcefully, she wanted to resist.

“Aunt Zhang, go get the first aid kit.” Zhou Siyu wasn’t angered; he still held her finger firmly, as if she were throwing a childish tantrum from the pain. “Bear with it, I’ll bandage it for you.”

Unable to free her finger, Xu You swallowed, unsure whether it was excess saliva or tears flowing backward, feeling utterly wronged.

Aunt Zhang hurried over with the first aid kit. Seeing it was only a finger injury, she prepared an iodine swab and handed it to Zhou Siyu, then stood by with a band-aid ready.

Lu Ang sidled over curiously, gasping softly at the sight of blood, only to immediately receive a cold glare from Zhou Siyu, as if blaming him for not protecting Xu You properly. Knowing he was at fault, Lu Ang shut his mouth.

“Be more careful next time, alright?” Zhou Siyu soothed her like a child, applying the band-aid and gently wiping away her tears with his thumb, turning slightly to block Lu Ang’s inquisitive gaze.

She stared expressionlessly at Lu Ang. “Aren’t you leaving yet?”

“Leaving, leaving, I’m going right now. I’ll leave the car keys by the door. The tank’s only half full, remember to fill it.” Lu Ang raised his hands in surrender and backed away.

The iron gate slammed shut with a heavy thud.

Ignoring Aunt Zhang’s presence, Xu You stepped back from Zhou Siyu and asked:

“Jiejie, did you give my WeChat to Lu Ang?”