Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 70

Xu You kept her foot pressed firmly on the accelerator the entire way, barely easing up. Yu Yao’s home was nearly half a city away from Zhou Siyu’s, a drive that usually took close to an hour, but she managed to cut it short by over ten minutes.

As she approached the residential complex, she eased off the gas, and the blur of colors outside the window gradually sharpened into recognizable shapes. Her restless heart slowly calmed.

She parked, rolled down the window.

The cold night air rushed eagerly into the car, lifting the strands of hair across Xu You’s forehead.

“Hello, which household are you visiting?” A security guard’s voice came from the booth not far away.

Xu You tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and looked up, meeting a familiar face. Both of them froze for a few seconds.

“Miss Xu! Long time no see. Your car hasn’t been registered in our system yet. If you have time, you should come by and get it recorded, it’ll make entering and exiting much easier.” The guard’s voice carried a hint of pleasant surprise upon seeing her again.

Xu You looked at him but didn’t respond, only smiled.

Some things didn’t need explaining.

The barrier arm lifted. Xu You thanked him, lightly pressed the accelerator, and drove toward the small building hidden in the darkness.

The iron gate she had passed through countless times was tightly shut. With the driver’s side window rolled down, she peered through the front yard. The rooms across several floors were all dark, even the garage light that was usually always on.

An eerie silence enveloped the surroundings, devoid of any signs of life. Xu You’s breath hitched, her hands tightening on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned stark white.

Zhou Siyu couldn’t be in trouble.

She parked the car in a roadside spot. The roads in the complex were wide, with little traffic, so it wouldn’t cause any obstruction. As soon as the car stopped, she grabbed her phone and headed toward the iron gate. Her phone wasn’t idle either, pressed to her ear, the screen glowed, showing an ongoing call.

The dial tone persisted. Xu You stood before the gate, inexplicably hesitant.

Zhou Siyu’s front door had long been replaced with an electronic lock. At one time, her fingerprint had been one of the passcodes.

Could she still open it now?

Zhou Siyu’s phone remained unanswered. On a whim, Xu You pressed her thumb gently against the dusty sensor and pushed down.

A mechanical female voice sounded.

“Scanning fingerprint.”

“Beep. Verification failed.”

Her suspended heart plummeted, not out of disappointment, but because, from Zhou Siyu’s perspective, such a reaction was hardly surprising after she had left without a word.

A minute passed, and the call ended automatically. Both of her hands dropped to her sides. The thumb of her free hand rubbed against her index finger, her chaotic thoughts suddenly clearing as a new idea flashed through her mind.

She raised her right hand again, this time extending her index finger.

“Scanning fingerprint.”

“Beep. Verification successful. Door unlocked.”

As the emotionless voice ceased, a mechanical click followed, and the iron gate to her left unlocked, swinging inward to make way. It had been so long that she had almost forgotten she had registered her index fingerprint.

Xu You walked step by step along the pebble path in the center of the courtyard. Her calm gaze swept over the new decorations in the yard, but she didn’t linger, soon arriving at the final security door leading into the house.

Reaching out, pressing, the door sprang open, just as smoothly as it had when she used to come home.

Darkness filled the interior. She had to turn on her phone’s flashlight first, locating the switch by the door to illuminate the entire first-floor hall.

The light instantly cast all the furnishings in the room into her eyes, and an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over her. The living room, the dining table, everything remained exactly as it had been when she left, unchanged.

Lowering her gaze, she noticed two pairs of shoes at the entrance.

One was the leather shoes Zhou Siyu had taken off after returning, and neatly placed beside them was a pair of plush slippers.

Brand new, clean, and in the style she had always loved.

Xu You blinked her dry eyes. Beyond these details, she clearly sensed almost no temperature difference between the inside and outside of the house, which meant Zhou Siyu was most likely not home…

Composing herself, she changed into the slippers and stepped onto the familiar carpet, ascending the central staircase to the second floor.

Zhou Siyu’s study was the first room on the right, and the second room next to it was their former bedroom.

It wasn’t impossible for the workaholic to be holed up in the study after returning. With that thought, Xu You first opened the first door. The study’s curtains were drawn tightly, sealing off the room, with only a faint glow from outside illuminating a small area. Her hand slid along the wall to find the light switch, and she pressed it down firmly.

Her gaze remained fixed on the spot where the desk stood. The bright overhead light and surrounding lamps lit up the study, but the spot she was focused on was empty. Unconsciously, she let out a sigh, feeling a slight sense of relief.

Finding someone was her goal. If one room yielded nothing, she would move to the next.

Her footsteps, muffled by the carpet, stopped a few meters away. Xu You pressed down on the metal handle with her right hand while her left hand found the switch and flipped it.

Warm yellow light flooded the master bedroom, revealing the entire scene inside.

A small lump was visible on one side of the large bed, indicating the presence of another person.

Zhou Siyu’s posture was extremely contorted, half-prone, yet not quite. One of her arms hung limply over the edge of the bed, her fingers pointing toward the floor, with her phone lying not far away.

Her face was hidden beneath her disheveled hair, and her shallow, almost imperceptible breaths made it difficult for anyone to notice her presence without the lights on.

At the sight, Xu You rushed to the bedside, her mind blank. Her grandfather had looked the same when he passed, twisted and unnaturally still, suffocatingly quiet.

She couldn’t bear to witness a third person leaving in front of her, no matter what Zhou Siyu meant to her now.

With trembling hands, she brushed aside the dark hair covering Zhou Siyu’s cheek. The cold touch of her fingertips against the skin sent a wave of panic through her, but as Zhou Siyu’s face was revealed, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Her face was flushed; she had likely fainted.

Thinking quickly, Xu You pressed her palm against Zhou Siyu’s smooth, full forehead. An intense heat transmitted through the contact almost instantly, and Xu You jerked her hand back, immediately pulling out her phone to call for an ambulance.

“Yes, yes. The symptoms I can confirm now are fever and unconsciousness. I’m not sure about the exact timing. Please send a vehicle over right away.”

In her dazed state, Zhou Siyu heard a familiar voice, and a stubborn urge drove her to open her eyes and look. The warm light wasn’t harsh, and she could easily make out someone sitting on the carpet beside the bed, talking on the phone.

The light spilled over the person’s head, and under its natural filter, Xu You seemed like an angel who had descended beside her.

Her breaths were hot. Feeling the angel’s hand on her forehead, she struggled to lift her stiff, long-dangling arm to reach out. But with just the slightest movement, the rustle of her clothes against the bedsheet caught Xu You’s attention.

The phone call had just ended, the device still held to her ear.

“You’re awake? Are you feeling unwell?” As she spoke, a loud clatter echoed, Xu You’s phone fell beside Zhou Siyu’s, one black and one white, a strangely fitting pair.

Zhou Siyu wanted to speak, but her throat felt blocked. The moment she opened her mouth, a fit of violent coughing seized her.

“I… cough, cough… I’m fine,” she managed, struggling to suppress her discomfort, her words fragmented and broken.

Xu You didn’t believe a single word. She withdrew the hand she had placed on Zhou Siyu’s forehead and was about to head downstairs to fetch some water.

Just as she rose from the floor, her fingers were enveloped in a burning heat.

“Don’t go.” Zhou Siyu’s voice was hoarse, her tone and gaze filled with pleading.

She resembled an abandoned puppy, its owner reappearing, terrified that any misstep might lead to being cast aside again, yet equally afraid that showing too much would displease her.

She lowered herself, willingly sinking into the dust, lifted only by an unintentional breeze or the motion of someone passing by, content just to brush against her presence.

But Zhou Siyu had forgotten: the relationship she imagined didn’t exist. When Xu You’s hand was caught and she looked down from above, her beautiful, sharp eyebrows furrowed in displeasure and disgust.

“Didn’t you arrange for someone to take care of you?” She exerted force, slowly pulling her hand away.

“Aunt Zhang’s son got married; she took a few days off.” Zhou Siyu’s eyes remained fixed on Xu You, sensing the fingers slipping from her grasp, yet unwilling to let go.

Xu You gritted her teeth, closed her eyes briefly, and when she reopened them, the warmth had vanished. “President Zhou, your body is your own. If you don’t take care of it, you’re the one who will suffer in the end. And the company, along with your employees and friends, will bear the consequences and face the crisis.”

With a determined effort, she withdrew her hand. “I came to check on you at Assistant Zheng’s request. I’ve already called an ambulance for you. Rest now; I’ll wait downstairs for the medical team.”

Having said that, she turned away without a hint of hesitation.

Her feet were snug in plush slippers, a perfect fit. She bent down to pick up both her and Zhou Siyu’s phones, placing Zhou Siyu’s back on the nightstand. Just as she was about to step away, her wrist was seized from behind once more.

Zhou Siyu felt that if she missed this chance while they were alone, it would be incredibly difficult to wait for another. So, she clung to every possibility to express her stance, to make amends, to repair what was broken.

“I’m sorry. I was arrogant and self-righteous before, hurting you and pushing you away. On the day we first met, I was actually in a panic. The company had just stabilized, and three out of five employees in the design department were poached. If I couldn’t hire new staff that day, my company was on the verge of bankruptcy. But when I saw you, I forgot all those worries, I couldn’t even move, just wanted to stay with you a little longer, even if only for a minute or a second.”

Xu You didn’t turn around, unable to see Zhou Siyu’s expression now, but the memory of that day only made her want to sneer.

“I rarely approach others; most of the time, people approach me.”

Zhou Siyu’s voice continued, and Xu You didn’t refute this.

It was true, she was like a bright moon, drawing others to her irresistibly.

Zhou Siyu had been drawn to that dazzling light, only to discover upon approach that it was all cold and distant.

“That proposal was something I blurted out in a moment of confusion. Once the words were out, I was too proud to apologize and stubbornly pressed on, then pretended to leave nonchalantly. But I deeply regretted it. I walked a long way and looked back to see you still standing there, thinking we had no chance.”

Her voice caught, and Xu You’s recollection abruptly halted.

“I never expected you to contact me again. No one knows how happy I was that day. I learned from them how to be a patron, one who appears effortless and wouldn’t let you see through my unfamiliarity. They…”

Suddenly realizing Xu You disliked Zhang Qin, Cheng Cheng, and that crowd, she abruptly fell silent. Her scrambled brain frantically worked to organize what to say next.

Xu You’s hand gripping the phone clenched into a fist, a suffocating feeling rising from her stomach to her chest.

Unable to restrain herself, she turned around, her eyes finally showing emotion, a mix of sorrow, resentment, and anger.

“What’s the point of saying all this now? Bringing up the past only makes sense if you did the right thing or did it well. Are you just trying to dredge up those painful memories? It’s truly laughable. Instead of resolving things with your partner, you dragged our private matters out to discuss with your so-called friends. Your so-called impulsiveness and pride were nothing but excuses for not loving enough.” Xu You’s tone was icy.

Zhou Siyu cried out “No,” a pained groan escaping as she seemed to aggravate some nerve.

After a moment to collect herself, a glistening tear traced down the corner of her eye. “I do love you, more than I ever realized.”

Youthful ignorance made her incapable of loving properly, a ridiculous yet undeniable truth.

One standing, one lying down, the two reached an impasse.

The urgent siren of an ambulance reached their ears. Xu You pried open the hand restraining her and flung it back.

Smoothing the wrinkles left on her sleeve, she walked toward the bedroom door.

“Please, I’m begging you, give me a chance. This time, I’ll love you properly.”

As she reached the doorway, the siren and Zhou Siyu’s pleas merged in Xu You’s ears.

The central bedroom light illuminated her face, but she only offered Zhou Siyu that cold, unfeeling profile before swiftly descending the stairs without a backward glance to greet the medical staff.

Zhou Siyu needed immediate treatment, her dangerously high fever had severely affected her brain.

Dragged unwittingly into unpleasant memories, Xu You felt a craving for a cigarette she didn’t even have. Originally just wanting to smoke to calm down, now she wished she could set everything ablaze along with herself.