Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 40

Xu You maintained her crossed-arm posture, radiating an aura of rejection.

She didn’t interrupt Zhou Siyu, her dark eyes coldly meeting the other’s gaze, waiting to hear some reasonable explanation from her lips.

What could she possibly say? Confess her own despicable actions, admit her shamelessness, or continue spouting meaningless declarations of love?

Zhou Siyu’s open mouth suddenly went silent. Xu You had given her an opportunity, yet she didn’t know what kind of explanation could make Xu You forgive her and return to her side.

The two stood facing each other, neither speaking for a long time.

Xu You silently observed Zhou Siyu. She had changed completely, this person who used to be so fastidious about cleanliness that she required thorough cleansing before intimacy was now willing to sit in a crowded hotel lobby all night wearing yesterday’s dirty clothes, just to wait for her.

If asked whether she felt even the slightest bit moved, the answer was truly no.

With few guests checking in or out in the morning, the hotel front desk staff secretly watched the two in their standoff. Eager to leave, Xu You uncrossed her arms and stuffed both hands into her coat pockets.

“If you have nothing to say, then let me ask you something instead.”

Zhou Siyu’s eyes suddenly lit up, her previously slumped shoulders straightening with renewed energy as she stood taller and nodded.

The howling wind outside seemed to mock them. Xu You looked at Zhou Siyu’s hopeful face and curled her lips in a derisive smile, not laughing at Zhou Siyu, but at herself.

Zhou Siyu didn’t dare make any sudden moves, afraid that excessive behavior might provoke Xu You’s displeasure again. Having finally waited for her return, she couldn’t risk driving her away and potentially waiting several more four-year cycles to see her again.

“Did you follow us last night?” Xu You asked.

Somewhat guilty but honest, Zhou Siyu answered, “Yes.”

Xu You understood. “Did Lu Ang tell you I was staying here?”

Hearing another “yes” from Zhou Siyu didn’t surprise Xu You at all. Back when they could barely be considered a couple, she had made efforts to understand Zhou Siyu’s friends, Zhang Qin’s family was in the liquor business, Cheng Cheng’s family was in politics, and Lu Ang’s family had the farthest reach, dabbling in everything including the hotel industry where they were equally successful.

Noticing Zhou Siyu’s astonishment, Xu You composed her expression and said coldly, “Please relay a message to him, the Lu family doesn’t have just one heir. Leaking guest privacy could have serious consequences if this escalates. He should carefully consider the repercussions.”

“Don’t blame him, it’s my fault. Direct your anger at me,” Zhou Siyu said hurriedly, surprised by how familiar Xu You seemed with the covert struggles among wealthy families.

This time, Xu You laughed genuinely.

Talking about winning her back, about protecting her, yet when it came down to it, her status still ranked below those fair-weather friends.

She shrugged indifferently, gave Zhou Siyu a look that said “you’re on your own,” and turned to continue toward the main entrance.

“Where are you going? Let me take you,” Zhou Siyu reacted quickly, catching up in a few steps to walk alongside her.

The doorman, seeing guests preparing to leave, pulled open the tall glass doors in advance. A blast of cold wind immediately rushed in, hitting Xu You full force. Her long wavy hair danced in the wind, strands brushing past Zhou Siyu’s nose, carrying the familiar scent of grapes.

Braving the wind outside, Xu You paused again. Zhou Siyu, wearing only a dress under her trench coat, stepped diagonally to shield Xu You from the roaring gale. The cold had long since stolen her body heat – Zhou Siyu looked utterly pale, her previously perfect makeup now patchy, revealing bloodless lips and unusually reddened eye sockets.

“My only request is for you to stay away from me. No matter how many times I repeat it, my answer remains the same, I don’t want anything to do with you, and I have no intention of staying in Beicheng, Zhou Siyu.”

This was the first time Xu You had called her by her full name face to face. Zhou Siyu remembered the last time was through a text message, when Xu You said they were breaking up.

Painful memories resurfaced, making her heart tremble violently.

“Let yourself go, let me go. Stop following me and doing all these things that disgust me.”

With that, Xu You walked alone into the cold wind, took out her phone to contact a ride-hailing driver, and under Zhou Siyu’s watchful gaze, got into the car and drove away.

After leaving the hotel, Xu You headed straight to the cemetery in the distant suburbs. In the past four years, she hadn’t visited Grandma Su even once. Now that she had some free time, she wanted to spend a good moment with her, to let the old lady know she wasn’t an ungrateful child.

The New Year’s atmosphere was in full swing, with festive red decorations lining the streets and alleys. As the car sped along, the city center faded into the distance, and the scenery grew sparse, the foot of the mountain exuding a chilly, desolate stillness.

The car couldn’t drive into the cemetery, so Xu You got out at the main gate.

The security guard at the entrance was sitting on a wooden chair watching TV. Hearing Xu You’s call, he slowly stood up, put on his military coat, and slid the iron gate open to one side.

Family members usually visited the cemetery on New Year’s Eve or during the first lunar month. Seeing a young girl alone, he couldn’t help but add, “Miss, if you’re here to pay respects, the shops nearby are closed today. You won’t be able to buy anything.”

Xu You patted her head in realization, thanked him, and stepped aside to order flowers on her phone.

Grandma Su loved flowers. When she was alive, there was always a fresh stem on her windowsill. Xu You blamed herself for being careless and not checking in advance. Now, she had to rely on a delivery service to bring the flowers.

The guard watched Xu You waiting alone in the cold wind, her breath forming white puffs as she rubbed her hands together.

It took half an hour for the privately arranged flowers to arrive. After bidding the guard farewell, Xu You carried the large bouquet and climbed the stone steps, one by one, until she reached the familiar gravestone.

Four years ago, the neighboring plot had been empty. Today, a “new resident” had moved in, coincidentally, it was Grandma Qin from the same neighborhood. She had passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and her old friends had pooled their money, asking Xu You to pull some strings to have her buried next to Grandma Su.

“Grandma, how have you been…?”

As she set the flowers down, the words flowed naturally. Just like old times, she sat beside the gravestone and talked for a long, long time, gazing at the laminated, unfaded photo on the stone.

She spoke of her decision to leave, her new life abroad, and the unexpected reunion over the past couple of days.

“Grandma, I did the right thing, didn’t I?”

Recounting her confrontation with Zhou Siyu at the hotel, Xu You instinctively asked the question. But as the words left her mouth, she suddenly remembered, Grandma was gone and couldn’t answer. Struck silent, she stared at the photo she had taken, then at Grandma Qin’s picture beside it, a single tear rolling from the corner of her eye.

The wild, chaotic wind suddenly stilled, and the trees grew quiet. The flowers she had brought trembled slightly.

Catching that faint movement, Xu You bit her lower lip hard and nodded, engaging in a silent conversation with them.

She wanted to stay on the mountain a little longer and began telling the grandmas about the changes she had noticed in Beicheng. Just as she mentioned finding time to visit the old neighborhood, her phone rang out loudly in the quiet mountain woods.

The caller ID showed the Beicheng District Police Station. Xu You didn’t dare delay and answered immediately.

“Hello, may I help you?”

A righteous male voice came through the phone: “Hello, is this Ms. Xu You? I’m Officer Zhao Yang from the local police station. Your family member, Yu Yao, has been brought in for allegedly engaging in a physical altercation in a public place. Could you please come to the station?”

Yu Yao got into a fight?

Xu You’s mind instantly conjured up images of Yu Yao, a delicate woman, being cornered and severely beaten by burly men. After confirming the address, she immediately stood up, bid a hasty farewell to the elderly, and sprinted down the hill.

On the way to the station, countless possibilities flashed through her mind. She was terrified that Yu Yao, acting impulsively, might have provoked someone while road-raging and ended up targeted by troublemakers.

The thought filled her with guilt. She had meant to tell Yu Yao not to pick her up from the hotel, but Zhou Siyu’s interference had made her forget. What a scatterbrain I am.

“Driver, could you please go a little faster?” Xu You pleaded anxiously. Unable to reach Yu Yao, she could only pray silently that she was alright.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “Miss, you’re already heading to the police station. If I speed and get a ticket, I might just end up joining you in there.”

“Please, just drive as fast as you safely can. I know your skills are better than most drivers. For the New Year, I’ll add an extra 200 as an early blessing.”

“No, no,” the driver chuckled, pressing the accelerator and shifting into fifth gear, swiftly overtaking the cars beside them. “We’re honest folks here, no extra charges. Just sit tight. I’ll get you there quickly and safely.”

True to his word, the driver delivered. Xu You stepped out of the car and nearly vomited right at the police station entrance.

Suppressing the discomfort in her stomach, she took a deep breath and hurried up the steps. Inside the bustling lobby, she found a receptionist and asked, “I just received a call about a physical altercation. Where should I go, and who should I speak to?”

The station was crowded even during the New Year holidays, filled with people detained for petty crimes and various misdemeanors. Some had a distinctly unsavory air, and Xu You felt their sticky gazes the moment she entered. Steeling herself, she approached a female officer who seemed less busy.

The officer worked efficiently, quickly retrieving the information from her computer. “Go straight, turn right, and it’s the first mediation room on your right.”

“Thank you.”

Clutching her bag, Xu You found the door labeled “Mediation Room 3.” Having never been to a police station before, she wasn’t sure of the protocol. Trusting her instincts, she knocked a few times before pressing down the handle, her heart pounding in her ears.

The mediation room was small, with a conference table occupied by a few people.

Yu Yao, seated facing the door, spotted Xu You as if seeing a long-lost relative. Free from handcuffs or restraints, she rushed over and enveloped Xu You in a bear hug.

“Waaah, it’s so embarrassing and scary coming to the police station for the first time!” Yu Yao, after all, was just a young woman unaccustomed to such situations. The moment she hugged Xu You, she burst into loud sobs.

The officer who had called Xu You earlier twitched the corner of his eye, this was not how she had behaved earlier.

Xu You didn’t indulge her. She broke free from Yu Yao’s embrace, circled her carefully, and examined her arms and the skin beneath her collar, meticulously checking for any injuries.

A physical altercation, and she came out completely unscathed?

Just as Xu You was marveling at the flawless, snow-white skin under Yu Yao’s high-necked sweater, the officer cleared his throat softly, interrupting her speculation and somewhat rude inspection.

“The other party is more severely injured.”

Xu You’s gaze followed the sound and landed on the figure with its back turned to her. The chair blocked her view of the clothing, but from the length of the hair and the curve of the straight back, she didn’t need to run over and see the face to know it was Zhou Siyu.

Zhou Siyu turned her head, her beautiful face still beautiful, though there was a ring of purplish bruising around the corners of her lips. Her lips might have been bitten by her teeth, they weren’t bleeding but had formed a thin scab.

“Youyou.”

Zhou Siyu spoke, tugging at the corner of her mouth, and hissed in pain, giving off an air of a delicate, sickly beauty.

The police officer was stunned by their love triangle. Yu Yao, ignited by those two words, grew furious and wanted to hit her again. Just then, the sound of a door opening came from behind, and a crisp child’s voice rang out. A little girl swept past them like the wind and threw herself at Zhou Siyu.

She nimbly climbed onto Zhou Siyu’s lap and sat down, her small face instantly crumpling at the sight of Zhou Siyu’s swollen, red lips. Her voice trembled with tears.

“Auntie Zhou, does it hurt?”

Youyou: ?
Yu Yao: ?!
Police officer: !??