Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 37

Xu You vanished, completely disappearing from everyone’s sight.

As the annual gala began, Zhou Siyu escorted Qin Keyi off the stage with a hand on her waist. Just as she raised a glass to her lips, Lu Ang burst into the venue in a frantic rush. His anxious gaze swept across the room before landing on her, and he hurried over.

Young Master Lu was always carefree and nonchalant, so when Zhou Siyu saw him in such a flustered state, her right eyelid suddenly twitched.

Left eye for fortune, right eye for misfortune.

She remembered how Xu You had earnestly whispered this to her with a worried expression the first time she accompanied Zhou Siyu to meet her friends. What had she said in response? Probably something about rejecting superstitious beliefs. Back then, the girl would still talk back, only pouting obediently after being given the cold shoulder.

She’d called Xu You superstitious, yet now an ominous feeling surged within her.

“Old Zhou,” Lu Ang said, barely winded from the short sprint but breathing rapidly. “Did you have a fight with Xu You? I just saw her run out in tears.”

Zhou Siyu’s eyes turned several shades colder, her brow furrowing slightly. It was unclear whether her displeasure stemmed from Xu You’s sudden departure or from hearing Xu You’s name from Lu Ang’s lips.

The girl had a proud temper. She’d gotten upset when Zhou’s communication dwindled during her trip to the U.S., ignoring messages, refusing calls. Just two days ago, she’d even pulled a disappearing act. Leaving the banquet hall now was likely another childish tantrum, probably triggered by whatever scene she’d witnessed earlier.

In Zhou Siyu’s understanding of relationships, only one person could hold the reins. She needed to maintain control, so this was an opportunity to curb the girl’s willful behavior.

“It’s fine. She’ll come back once she’s cried it out. Keep Keyi company for a while, I’m stepping out for a smoke.” She brushed off Lu Ang’s concern, leaving Qin Keyi behind as she exited the banquet hall.

The thick carpet muffled the sound of her footsteps, making each one feel unsettlingly hollow.

The smoking room held a few familiar faces, though she couldn’t match names to them. She merely smiled when others greeted her and offered cigarettes, then calmly walked to a secluded corner by the window under their collective gaze. From her handbag, she retrieved a cigarette case and lighter.

She casually plucked a cigarette, resting it between her index and middle fingers. As she brought the lighter’s flame close, a sudden gust of wind blew the fire astray. It took a full half-minute before the tip finally glowed crimson.

Claiming she’d come for a smoke was really just an excuse for solitude. Remembering how Xu You disliked the smell of tobacco, she simply let the cigarette burn, balanced on the notch of a metal ashtray. With one hand, she toyed with her phone, waiting as usual for Xu You to yield.

The cigarette gradually burned down, accumulating a long ash. Her phone screen lit up, and she immediately picked it up to unlock it, already contemplating how to teach the girl a more memorable lesson.

[Zhou Siyu, I don’t want to continue this anymore. Let’s end it here, from today onward.]

Jumping directly to the WeChat interface, Zhou Siyu’s pupils constricted sharply at the message. Thinking her eyes deceived her, she took a deep breath, steadied herself, and reread it word by word several times.

Beyond the icy tone, so unlike Xu You, she also noticed that Xu You’s profile picture and Moments had been cleared out. It seemed the girl was determined to sever ties completely.

A bitter laugh escaped Zhou Siyu’s lips as fury surged within her. With one hand, she forcefully typed out a response and hit send, only for the message to fail delivery. A glaring red exclamation mark stood boldly before her text bubble.

She dared to block me?

Fine. Just fine

Zhou Siyu trembled with rage, the ash from her cigarette shaking loose into the ashtray. Her subordinates exchanged glances and swiftly slipped out of the smoking room, eager to avoid becoming collateral damage.

Blocking someone on WeChat was hardly an impressive move. She refused to believe Xu You could stir up any real trouble. Clutching her phone, she tried to convince herself to be magnanimous, to grant Xu You ten more minutes to come forward and apologize.

Time ticked away, though it might not have been long at all. Her agitation stretched each second into an agonizing crawl, every moment fragmented and endured with impatience.

Beep. Her phone chimed with another notification.

It had to be Xu You. The invisible hand gripping her throat and nose suddenly loosened, and the dark clouds looming over her head seemed to drift away.

Zhou Siyu’s anger hadn’t fully subsided. Xu You’s “peace offering” only brought her a sliver of satisfaction. She maintained her aloof posture, holding her phone at a measured distance, ready to savor Xu You’s groveling apology with detached amusement.

Her expression icy, she glanced down at the screen, a faint smirk playing on her lips. If Xu You’s apology was sincere enough, she might just grant her a chance out of sheer benevolence.

But as the sender’s name appeared on the screen, her brows furrowed into a deeper scowl. Her eyes turned frosty, her lips pressed into a tight line, as if she’d just stepped out of an ice cellar, radiating a chill that could be felt meters away.

It was a message from the bank. Not Xu You.

An indescribable frustration clogged her chest. Disinterested, she was about to lock her screen and resume her ten-minute wait when the cigarette between her fingers burned down to the filter. The ember crept backward until the searing heat and flame singed her delicate skin, leaving behind a vivid, painful mark.

Her tender skin immediately flushed pink, blisters forming like translucent pearls. The sharp, heart-piercing pain made her gasp sharply, sucking in a lungful of cold air.

Zhou Siyu crushed the offending cigarette butt forcefully into the ashtray. At that moment, her phone’s facial recognition activated without permission, flashing the bank notification right in her face.

It was a large transfer. Zhou Siyu’s attention was caught by the seven zeros following the digit one. Her mind raced through recent business dealings but found no relevant transactions. Suppressing her impatience, she scanned the remarks section.

The moment she finished reading the note silently, her phone was hurled across the room in a perfect parabolic arc. It collided with the wall and shattered on impact.

Mediocre skills? Payment for services?

Where had Xu You gotten ten million? As if that weren’t insulting enough, she’d even included a performance review.

[Payment for upkeep. Over the years, I’m the only one you’ve served. Your skills are mediocre, your stamina needs work, but occasionally, it was decent. Before your next client, remember to refine your techniques, study your methods, and train harder.]

Lu Ang, having just stepped out of the banquet hall, heard the commotion and rushed into the smoking room. Having known Zhou Siyu for over a decade, he had never seen such unbridled fury on her face. He could almost visualize flames roaring around her, a sight even more intense than at her parents’ funeral ten years prior.

His courage faltered, freezing him in place. Qin Keyi, who had followed him in, hurried over to Zhou Siyu.

Qin Keyi’s quick steps were hampered by a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, forcing her to slow down. Her voice, contrary to the gentle impression her photos conveyed, was firm as she asked, “Zhou, what happened? Do you need our help?”

Zhou Siyu gritted her teeth, ignoring everything around her. The veins on her pale hands bulged as she stared fixedly at the shattered pieces of the phone scattered in the corner, poised like a leopard ready to strike.

Qin Keyi frowned and deliberately stepped into Zhou Siyu’s line of sight, her hand resting on her lower abdomen. “Say something. Are you planning to lose your temper again and make us leave?”

Lu Ang, recalling something, paled and forced himself to step forward. “Old Zhou, don’t be like this. Keyi is pregnant, don’t scare her.”

It was the unborn child that finally awakened the last shred of Zhou Siyu’s rationality. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and her demeanor softened a little.

Seizing the opportunity, Lu Ang pressed on, “Old Zhou, if you have something to say, just say it. Is this about Xu You? Don’t worry, didn’t you say you just wanted to teach her a lesson? I’ll call her right now and explain that the others acted out of line, it wasn’t your stance. She’s young but reasonable; she’ll understand.”

The tall man fumbled nervously through the pockets of his tailored suit for his phone. Standing before him, the slightly shorter woman with an overwhelming presence flashed a cold glare upon hearing his words. In a swift motion, she grabbed his collar and shoved him against the wall.

“What are you talking about? What did you do to her?” Zhou Siyu was bewildered, but thinking of their usual behavior, she pinned him firmly against the wall.

Lu Ang, who had just pulled up Xu You’s contact, hadn’t had time to dial when his back slammed into the wall. Anger surged within him.

“Old Zhou, what could we have done? Don’t you know exactly what happened?”

“Who was it that didn’t even bother to introduce her the first time they met? Who dragged her along to gatherings even when it was clear she couldn’t fit in? Who stood by and did nothing when they heard the others’ hostile tones?”

“We’re trash, we’re scum, but the one who allowed us to hurt her…”

Lu Ang met Zhou Siyu’s eyes squarely and said in a low voice, “was you.”

Qin Keyi had never seen her childhood friends clash so intensely. The tension between them was so thick that a single spark could ignite them both. She rushed over to intervene, just as Lu Ang shoved Zhou Siyu away in frustration. In his anger, he didn’t hold back, and his swinging arm struck Qin Keyi, sending her stumbling backward until she collapsed into a cushioned seat.

A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, and she broke out in a cold sweat from the agony. Seeing her contorted in pain, Zhou Siyu and Lu Ang immediately forgot their argument. One of them lifted her up while the other followed, rushing her into the car and speeding to the nearest hospital.

Outside the emergency room, the two sat in the waiting area, not speaking to each other.

The metal doors of the hospital’s busiest department swung open and shut continuously. Unlike them, most people weren’t calm enough to sit and argue, they either crouched by the door, waiting to be called, or hurried between floors.

A young girl who had slit her wrists was wheeled in. Lu Ang broke the silence gloomily.

“I made some calls and asked around. Xu You didn’t just block us or turn off her phone. The location of her SIM card is on Shengshi Avenue near your place. She must have thrown it away.”

At the mention of her home, Zhou Siyu immediately dialed Aunt Zhang. Upon learning that Xu You had given her the day off early that morning, she slumped weakly into her chair, running her hands through her meticulously styled hair until it was disheveled.

“Tell me, what exactly did you do to her?”

Zhou Siyu realized the severity of the situation. Over the years, she had given Xu You no more than five million, but the transfer notification she had just received doubled the amount she had offered. For a college student to have that much money, their family background must be far from ordinary.

Recalling the day she video-called Xu You’s parents, the house they lived in was certainly no smaller than the villa they currently resided in. With its proper European-style decor, the renovation costs alone far exceeded her insignificant five million.

Slowly, it dawned on her that Xu You had never been with her for the money. This departure was undoubtedly a resolute decision.

After listening to Lu Ang’s concise retelling, Zhou Siyu pieced together the closest approximation of the truth in her mind. All the details connected, and Xu You’s fear and resistance now had a traceable origin.

Yet, because of her indifference and indulgence, Xu You had endured it time and again.

Still, Zhou Siyu gave Lu Ang two punches for his two instances of malicious harassment. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the emergency room security rushed over to mediate. Upon learning that the two were friends quarreling over personal matters, they left with muttered complaints.

The fetus in Qin Keyi’s womb needed monitoring, and Lu Ang volunteered to stay by her bedside.

Zhou Siyu drove the Cayenne, and in the car, she could still faintly catch Xu You’s scent. It had faded from disuse, but she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with whatever traces remained.

She drove straight home. The lights were on at the entrance, as if nothing had happened. Hopeful, she pushed open each door in the house but found no sign of the person she longed to see.

The walls of the studio were covered with Xu You’s artwork, and the study was filled with her textbooks and specialized course materials.

She would be back.

Zhou Siyu took a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet, opened it, and sat in the studio, drinking one sip after another. The alcohol gradually numbed her nerves.

The people she had sent to gather information replied one after another in the late hours of the night.

No travel records found, family background search failed, no news from the school…

Xu You had truly vanished from her world without a word.

Zhou Siyu’s hand trembled, and the wine bottle fell, staining the carpet Xu You loved most. Staring at the spreading red pool, her eyes welled up with tears.