Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 45.2

The doorbell had only rung twice when a voice responded from inside. Xu You recognized it as the voice of Professor Liu’s wife, a gentle, beautiful woman who always wore a smile and spoke little.

The metal door was pushed open from the inside. When she saw Xu You, her face lit up with pleasant surprise, and her smile deepened. She beckoned Xu You inside while calling out loudly into the house, “Old Liu, come quickly! Look who’s here!”

“Keep it down… the little one just fell asleep.”

The voice was still familiar. The soft thuds of cotton slippers on the wooden floor created a rhythmic tapping. Xu You’s heart pounded like a drum as she stood at the doorway, watching the closed door open. Her professor emerged, holding a drowsy, fussing infant in his arms.

Professor Liu had been walking steadily, but upon recognizing the visitor at the door, his rhythm faltered. He rushed over with the child in his arms, silently scrutinizing her.

It was hard to tell the baby’s gender. Jostled a few times, the child didn’t cry or fuss but simply stared at Xu You, this unfamiliar aunt, with round, dark, pure eyes like grapes. The house had grown unusually quiet. Perhaps unaccustomed to the silence, the baby let out a few soft whimpers to remind everyone of its presence before being taken back to the room by Professor Liu’s wife for a forced shutdown into sleep.

“You finally remembered to come see me,” Professor Liu said sternly, blocking Xu You at the doorway.

It had been a long time since Xu You had felt the professor’s imposing presence, and she grew nervous, considering just leaving the gifts and making a run for it.

Seeing right through her thoughts, Professor Liu took two steps back. “Just put the things on the shoe cabinet. Come in and sit down.”

Slipping on a pair of disposable slippers, Xu You followed his instructions, set down the gifts, and trailed him to the living room sofa.

“Time flies… your grandson is already born,” Xu You mustered the courage to say something awkward to break the tense atmosphere and calm her racing heart.

Professor Liu pushed the teacup toward her. The tea leaves, having just met the boiling water, floated on the surface, gradually tinting the liquid with a pale, tender green. He took a proper sip from his ceramic cup and set it down heavily. Xu You braced for a loud clatter, but only a faint scraping sound followed.

“Indeed. If you’d come two years later, I might’ve already lost my memory to dementia and wouldn’t even recognize you.”

Xu You knew it was said in anger and fell into a speechless silence.

Professor Liu noticed she had grown much thinner since she left. Whether it was an act or not, she still appeared obedient and submissive before him, silently enduring any scolding. He sighed deeply. She had left without a word, leaving him worried and angry for so long. Now, seeing her pitiful state, his heart ached with sorrow.

“What do you do for work now?” he asked, maintaining a stern demeanor.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Xu You quickly defined her occupation: “I’m self-employed. Occasionally, I sell some paintings for a little money.”

Her hesitation, in Professor Liu’s eyes, came across as unease. Over his many years of teaching, he had encountered countless students, but she stood out as the most talented and hardworking in the arts. Even after she disappeared without a word, he had kept an eye out for her in both domestic and international circles, only to find no trace of her.

Witnessing the sudden fall of what was once a rising star pained him deeply.

“If you hadn’t left back then, if you had stayed with me, I would’ve done everything to find opportunities for you, to introduce you to work. You wouldn’t have ended up in this state…”

Xu You was taken aback. Did she really seem to be struggling that badly?

In front of the professor, she hesitated about whether to reveal her identity as Esme. Before she could decide, Professor Liu shifted the topic to the graduate art exhibition.

“The department emailed you, and you didn’t reply. You didn’t reply to mine either. Do you feel ashamed because you haven’t achieved great success? It’s alright. Countless art graduates emerge every year, but how many truly make it in this field? I know how much you love art, how much you love painting. If you still want to pursue this path, participate in this exhibition. I’ll find a way to introduce you to some masters who can mentor you.”

Hearing this, the corners of Xu You’s eyes reddened. The fact that Professor Liu still cared so much was an immense honor to her. Just as she was about to confess her new identity, the doorbell rang again.

“Think it over. I’ll get the door.” Professor Liu gave her ample time to consider, then stood up and headed to the entrance.

Previously, she had viewed the exhibition as a trap set by her enemies, a den of danger. But with Professor Liu’s support and the guidance of the old monk, she finally solidified her decision: to confront the monsters lurking in the shadows.

Professor Liu stayed at the door for a long time, but no guest entered, nor did she hear anyone leave. Curiosity getting the better of her, Xu You quietly shifted to the edge of the sofa and peeked toward the door.

She hadn’t expected what she would see. The moment she caught sight of the woman at the door, her entire body jolted in shock.

Trash! no, Zhou Siyu… here to pay New Year’s respects to Professor Liu?

Her heart, which had just settled, leaped into her throat. She prayed the other woman hadn’t spotted her, but as she lowered her head, a tall shadow enveloped her entirely.

A pitiful, weak, and helpless young woman faced off against a cunning, ruthless businesswoman.

After Xu You went abroad, Zhou Siyu had come to visit Professor Liu every New Year for several years. At first, she came to inquire about Xu You’s whereabouts. Once she confirmed no one knew, her visits shifted to paying respects to Xu You’s closest mentor. Professor Liu had heard their story, and his sympathies always lay with Xu You, which was why he had kept Zhou Siyu at the door. Little did he expect that the girl would playfully reveal herself and get caught.

The two stood and sat in the living room in a standoff, but he became the most flustered and nervous one.

“Let’s talk.” Zhou Siyu’s eyes were fixed only on Xu You.

Xu You withdrew her gaze that had concealed her shock, picked up her handbag, and ignoring Zhou Siyu standing before her, walked over to Professor Liu, bowed respectfully, and said:

“Professor, I have something to attend to later. I’ve carefully considered your proposal, it truly is a rare opportunity for me. I’ll contact you again to discuss it in detail, but for now, I must take my leave.”

“Ah, ah, alright.”

With his permission, Xu You bolted toward the door as if a ghost were chasing her. Grateful she was wearing sneakers, she slipped them on and stepped out. By the time Zhou Siyu heard the door close and rushed after her, Xu You was already in the elevator, mercilessly jabbing the close button repeatedly in front of her.

Professor Liu lived on the eighth floor, and the old elevator took only a few dozen seconds to descend. Leaning against a corner of the elevator, Xu You felt a wave of relief, as if she had narrowly escaped disaster.

The scratched floor display screen flickered, the numbers jumping from two to one. With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and she stepped out. Before she could fully exit, a blurry figure darted out from the stairwell beside her. Instinctively, she reached for the close button again.

The commands conflicted, and the elevator doors, having received the close instruction, sluggishly reversed direction. Unfortunately, they were too slow before they could fully shut, a hand with faintly visible veins and well-proportioned knuckles slid between them.

Detecting an obstruction, the doors slowly slid open again.

Zhou Siyu, frantic at the thought of missing Xu You, had rushed down without properly wearing her boots, stepping on the backs of them. Ever since the company annual meeting had shaken her, she refused to admit she was getting older or incapable and had hired a personal trainer for home workouts. Yesterday, she had focused on leg exercises, and the lactic acid buildup made her muscles ache with every step. The frantic sprint left her legs weak and on the verge of collapse, with a faint metallic taste of blood in her throat.

She couldn’t show any weakness that might make Xu You despise her even more. Fueled by this thought, Zhou Siyu swallowed twice, suppressing her nearly explosive heartbeat, and forced herself to stand straight, trying to appear less disheveled.

Clearing her throat, she kept her hand pressed against the metal door. “I want to talk to you.”

Xu You’s face was cold. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

With that, she ignored Zhou Siyu’s movements, bent down, and tried to slip under her arm to escape.

Having shared a bed for four years, Zhou Siyu’s arm instinctively dropped as Xu You bent, blocking her path. Her hand trembled as it pressed against Xu You’s shoulder.

“Let go.” The moment Zhou Siyu touched her, Xu You bristled, shouting to stop her while dodging to the side to avoid her touch.

As Xu You slipped out from under her arm, Zhou Siyu remained frozen in place. When their eyes met, Xu You’s filled with disgust and anger, something inside Zhou Siyu snapped. Her hand dropped heavily to her side, emitting a pitiful groan.

The suppressed surge of blood and energy rushed back up, making her voice hoarse.

“I’m sorry.”

“Rather than hearing you apologize over and over only to offend me again and again, I’d prefer if you could restrain yourself, control yourself, and stop making me hate you even more.”

When in love, sweet words flowed freely; once hurt, she showed no mercy.

With those final words, Xu You brushed off the spot where Zhou Siyu had touched her and walked out of the building entrance without looking back, striding quickly toward the neighborhood gate.

She felt a twinge of regret. If she had known she would run into Zhou Siyu here, she should have lowered her moral standards, parked her car inside, and temporarily occupied another resident’s parking spot, apologizing and compensating when the owner came looking.

Yes, she would rather spend money than share the same space with Zhou Siyu, breathing the same air.

On her way here, preoccupied with her thoughts, the road had felt short. Now, walking back, it inexplicably felt agonizingly long.

The main gate of the complex was just ahead, but the sound of footsteps behind her grew louder and clearer.

“Wait a moment.”

Xu You didn’t stop when Zhou Siyu called out to her; instead, she broke into a sprint. The elderly man in the security booth watched the two tall, long-legged women, both strikingly attractive, chasing each other. The melon seed shells in his hand scattered to the ground as his gaze followed the drama unfolding before him.

Sneakers provided better traction than hard-soled shoes, and Xu You reached the car first. Frantically, she unlocked the door, squeezed inside, and pulled it shut with all her strength.

They had arrived almost simultaneously, the time gap negligible. As she yanked the door, Zhou Siyu’s hand happened to grip the top of the window frame, and it slammed against the metal edge, cushioned only by bone.

The door failed to close completely. A muffled groan followed. Xu You looked up and saw a stark purplish bruise slanting across Zhou Siyu’s knuckles, a shocking sight.

Her fingers had gone numb. The inner layer of her clothes was soaked with sweat. As pain surged, Zhou Siyu’s face instantly turned pale, beads of sweat rolling down her nose and forehead.

“I’m fine,” she forced out through gritted teeth, her voice strained.

“I want to talk to you,” she repeated, her tone increasingly deferential. “About Yu Yao.”