Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 28

“Don’t call her ‘little friend’.” Zhou Siyu frowned sharply, cutting off Lu Ang’s playful grin.

Lu Ang pinched his thumb and forefinger together and made a zipping motion over his lips, then waved his hand and walked to the passenger side. He opened the door, retrieved the vehicle registration from the glove compartment, and handed it to Xu You.

The two drivers involved in the altercation had already been taken away by the police, leaving the traffic officers to handle the vehicle collision. Xu You shifted her face away from Zhou Siyu’s hand and handed over her ID card and driver’s license for documentation.

While the traffic officer was recording the information, she glanced toward where Zhou Siyu and Lu Ang stood.

Zhou Siyu had her back to her, perhaps saying something. She could only see the smile on Young Master Lu’s face fading, his brow eventually furrowing into a deep crease.

By the time the documentation was finished and she returned to the car, their conversation had ended. The three of them stood at a distance from one another, and Xu You, being the youngest, was the first to break the stalemate.

“Lu Ang, when will the insurance agent arrive? Since the photos have been taken, can I drive my car to the repair shop first and go to work? We can contact each other if anything else comes up.” Xu You had already checked the time, over half an hour had been wasted, directly affecting her work plans for the day. After a tiring week, she didn’t want to end up working overtime on a Friday.

Lu Ang unlocked his phone to check. “He said he’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Leave the car to you. Once it’s repaired, send it to the company. We’re leaving first.” Zhou Siyu spoke abruptly, her hand already gripping Xu You’s arm through her down jacket.

Xu You struggled twice but couldn’t break free. Just as she was about to give up, Lu Ang interjected, “How about you go to the company first, Old Zhou? I’ll take Xu You there after she finishes up here.”

His suggestion earned him a cold glare from Zhou Siyu. “Don’t forget what I just said.”

Lu Ang’s face paled, but Zhou Siyu paid no attention, dragging Xu You toward the Cayenne as if she hadn’t noticed. Xu You was pulled along for two steps before she planted her feet firmly, refusing to budge.

“Xu You, don’t be stubborn.”

Zhou Siyu tightened her grip. Even through her thick clothing, Xu You could feel the pressure.

They both knew she had reached her limit. If she resisted further, Zhou Siyu wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary to take her away.

“My bag is still in the car.”

Her words, carried by the wind, reached Zhou Siyu’s ears. Clearly, she hadn’t expected that to be the reason.

Accustomed to commanding others, she had long forgotten how to yield. Still, she loosened her grip slightly and led Xu You back to the scene like a piece of cargo, retrieving her bag before taking her to her car.

“I’ve bought you so many bags, big and small. Why do you carry a cloth bag every day?” On the way, Zhou Siyu found an excuse to ease the tension.

“I’m just an intern.” Xu You glanced at the cloth bag in her hand. “If it were up to me, I’d also prefer a cheaper, easier-to-drive car.”

The Mini Cooper was cute, but its heavy steering wheel made parking a struggle for a novice like her. Her arms would ache before she even made it to the office. Seizing the opportunity, she voiced her request.

“Alright, I’ll arrange it.” Zhou Siyu softened her tone. Pushing things to the breaking point wasn’t her intention.

Xu You didn’t respond with her usual cheerful expression, merely uttering an “Mm” before letting her guide her into the driver’s seat of the Cayenne.

Sitting in the car, she stared intently at the emblem on the steering wheel and thought carefully. Previously, her identity was that of a student, while she was the owner of a company. Most of her time was spent at school or in the studio, and the challenges they faced were entirely different from now. Sweetness had buried the conflicts, and more often than not, she had swallowed her feelings. Looking back, it seemed there were many issues between them.

The most significant one was that she had never treated herself as an equal, from choosing a car to daily life.

Zhou Siyu closed the passenger door, deftly fastening the seatbelt for both Xu You and herself. Xu You, with her hands resting on her lap, asked, “Do I really have to drive?”

Having experienced a car accident for the first time, though uninjured, the lingering sensation of the impact left her legs weak and unsteady. She felt resistant to driving.

Just as Zhou Siyu was about to suggest switching seats, Xu You said, “Never mind,” started the car, and drove off.

Thick clouds obscured the sun, and the gloomy weather brought low pressure both inside and outside the car. As they entered the complex and drove into the YUYOO underground garage, Xu You, for once, managed to reverse the car into the parking spot in one go. She let out a sigh of relief and reached to unbuckle her seatbelt, but Zhou Siyu grabbed her hand.

“You drove very well,” Zhou Siyu said, squeezing her hand as if to encourage her.

But praise wasn’t what Xu You wanted. With one hand held, she twisted her body and used her other hand to press the buckle.

The seatbelt retracted, and Zhou Siyu’s temple twitched.

She wondered whether the girl was utterly furious or simply terrified, unyielding and unresponsive.

Assuming she was just throwing a tantrum, Zhou Siyu then retrieved a small jewelry box from somewhere in the passenger seat, turned Xu You’s hand over, and placed the box in her palm.

“Open it and see.”

How could Xu You not recognize the Van Cleef & Arpels packaging? Under Zhou Siyu’s gaze, she quickly opened it. Inside lay a Vintage Alhambra four-leaf clover bracelet, with three gray mother-of-pearl clovers interspersed with two rose gold leaves set with diamonds.

She already owned many similar styles. After the bracelet briefly touched the air, she closed the box again.

“You don’t like it?” Zhou Siyu watched her complete the motions.

Xu You smiled and shook her head.

What woman doesn’t love jewelry, especially high-end pieces worth six figures?

But she had already drawn attention in the department. Everyone assumed she had powerful backing and was waiting for an opportunity to provoke her. She didn’t want to deal with it. Besides, she was used to wearing bracelets on her right hand, and having to draw numerous sketches every day made it inconvenient.

Zhou Siyu took several deep breaths, her patience wearing thin. Grabbing Xu You’s shoulders, she decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

“I understand you’re angry, and I admit most of the problem lies with me. We face different challenges every day. You only need to complete the drawings assigned to you and revise the unsatisfactory parts. I have to bear the pressure of the entire company, the data of every game, every collaboration contract. The slightest misstep could force many people out. I don’t have much time to decipher your thoughts.”

“Do you remember? We agreed that if you had any grievances, you could tell me directly, and I’d do my best to fulfill whatever is feasible.” She paused, swallowing the words that would have made Xu You face the reality of their relationship. “I saw that you called me and I didn’t answer. You must have noticed my car hadn’t moved that day, I was negotiating a cross-border collaboration. I was practically drinking myself to death and had no time to charge my phone.”

Xu You could tell that Zhou Siyu was determined to resolve the issues she perceived right then and there. Though Xu You thought it wouldn’t be that easy, her heart still skipped a beat when she heard that Zhou Siyu had drunk herself nearly to death. Her gaze was filled with heartache as she looked at her.

Zhou Siyu sensed a slight softening and rested her chin on Xu You’s shoulder, refraining from any more intimate gestures. Her voice was slow and deliberate.

“I really drank a lot. Red wine at the first gathering, white wine at the second, and a mix of red and white at the third. After settling everyone, I went back to my room and threw up until bile came out.”

“Did the deal go through?” Xu You deliberately avoided showing her concern, but her anxious tone had already betrayed her.

“Who do you think I am?” Zhou Siyu kissed her earlobe, then straightened up with a serious expression before Xu You could get worked up.

“Your missed calls got buried under other messages. I noticed you hadn’t texted me on WeChat and thought you wanted some space to balance work and me. I’ll admit my mistake first, I was wrong on the day of the celebration and these past couple of days. You can take your time to adjust, but don’t act impulsively.”

“I’m not acting impulsively,” Xu You muttered.

The atmosphere gradually lightened, and Zhou Siyu teased, “Are you really going to claim that you didn’t contact me today because you thought you could handle it?”

Xu You opened her mouth to retort but couldn’t find the words. Instead, she grabbed her cloth bag, opened the car door, and hurried toward the elevator lobby.

Inside the car, Zhou Siyu shrugged, watching Xu You’s childish, angry retreat with a sigh of relief. After locking the car, she followed her to the elevator lobby to wait.

“I’ll take you out for something delicious tonight. You can wait in the office, the break room, or just head upstairs.” Zhou Siyu, who rarely wore heels, appeared significantly taller than Xu You in the reflection of the glass elevator doors.

Xu You curled her lips without responding, childishly rising onto her toes to compare their heights.

As the elevator doors opened, Zhou Siyu took her hand and pulled her inside, where they stood side by side.

Once the doors closed, Xu You suddenly let go of Zhou Siyu’s hand and moved to the opposite corner. Under Zhou Siyu’s questioning gaze, she murmured, “It’s strange for you to be in the staff elevator. If anyone sees us, they’ll definitely gossip. Our secret relationship can’t be exposed.”

Zhou Siyu made a move to ruffle her hair, but the elevator stopped on the first floor. Through the gap, she seemed to spot the very people Xu You had mentioned.

She lowered her hand just as the doors opened fully.

The people outside greeted Zhou Siyu with scattered, hesitant “Hello, Boss” but didn’t dare enter. Zhou Siyu sighed helplessly, glanced at Xu You, who had turned into a timid quail, nodded, and stepped out.

The group boarding the elevator were colleagues from the third floor and above. Relieved, Xu You slipped out on the second floor, humming a little tune as she turned on her computer and started working.

To catch up on the work she had missed, she returned to her desk right after lunch with Team Leader Qian, dedicating herself to the company’s tasks.

By 5:30 p.m., the normal end of the workday, she had completed four designs in just three and a half days, well within the two-week deadline. Having achieved her goal of leaving on time, she sent a message to Zhou Siyu to report her progress, then stealthily made her way up to the fifth floor via the stairwell and hid in Zhou Siyu’s break room.

Lu Ang messaged her to say the car’s paint had been touched up and asked whether to deliver it to the company or her home at that hour.

While tapping out a rapid explanation about the car swap, she walked over to the sofa.

Lu Ang offered some practical advice after hearing she wanted to change cars. It felt surreal to Xu You to have a normal conversation with him for the first time. After sending a few grateful emojis, she plopped down onto the couch.

The white leather sofa sank beneath her, and she steadied herself with a hand. As she lifted her hand to check if Lu Ang had sent any more messages, she noticed a strand of hair pressed into the center of her palm.

A long, silver-white curly hair.

Zhou Siyu’s hair was brown, and hers was pure black…