Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 84

“Director Sun, shall I have a bed brought in for you?”

Zhou Siyu’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to the far end of the conference room. The documents in her hand slammed heavily onto the table, the dull thud striking deep into the souls of everyone present. Sun Zhibing’s eyes snapped open abruptly. The executive meeting concluded under suffocatingly low pressure.

Zhou Siyu was the first to leave, leaving the others exchanging uneasy glances.

Every department bore some responsibility for the company’s poor performance. Sensing the collective resentment in their eyes, Zheng Ran shrugged and quickened his pace to catch up with Zhou Siyu.

“President Zhou, Dean Li from the North City Research Institute would like to invite you to dinner. Considering that Miss Xu hasn’t been in touch lately, shall I accept on your behalf?” Zheng Ran swiped through his tablet as he walked. They say one can’t focus on two things at once, his attention was so fixed on the screen that he didn’t notice Zhou Siyu’s lack of response until he paused and realized she had fallen three or four meters behind.

Zhou Siyu stared expressionlessly at Zheng Ran. Sharp as ever, Zheng Ran detected a dangerous glint in her eyes and immediately backtracked to her side, awaiting further instructions.

The North City Research Institute covered a wide range of fields, with project groups spanning materials, software, and more. It also brought together dozens of dean-level advisors from major universities in North City to guide various projects.

Dean Li was a longtime friend of Zhou Siyu’s parents. During YUYOO’s early days, he had referred many of the technical department’s employees. As an elder inviting a junior to a meal, it was only proper to accept.

After a moment’s thought, Zhou Siyu shook her head. “There’s no hurry for that dinner. I’ll respond personally. Later, reserve a table for me at Jianghu Renjia, I’m inviting someone to dinner tonight.”

“How many people? Should I arrange the dishes? Shall I decant the red wine in advance?” Zheng Ran typed “Dinner” into Zhou Siyu’s evening schedule and meticulously inquired about the details. As he finished and looked up, he was met with a sharp glare.

Zhou Siyu’s irritation flared. “Two people. A date. Understand?”

Zheng Ran’s eyes widened in sudden understanding, and he nodded repeatedly. “Well done, President Zhou! So, Miss Xu finally contacted you? Is there anything else you need? I’ll make sure everything is perfectly arranged.”

“Worry less about things that aren’t your concern.”

Unwilling to elaborate, Zhou Siyu strode back to her office to handle work matters.

With something to look forward to, time flew by. Finishing her tasks right on schedule, Zhou Siyu sat before her computer, her hand resting on the keyboard as she stared at the chat window with Xu You, unable to type.

She wanted to reach out but feared disturbing her at work and annoying her.

Shifting her fingers from the keyboard to the mouse, Zhou Siyu began scrolling aimlessly through their past chat history.

Xu You had long since deleted and cleared her side of the conversation, but Zhou Siyu had preserved it carefully. On many sleepless nights, she revisited those messages, finding solace in them until dawn.

The mouse wheel turned, text scrolling across the screen. Their exchanges had never been plentiful, even during their honeymoon phase, Xu You, mindful of her work demands, never clung to her or shared every little detail.

From cautious concern at the beginning to sparse check-ins every ten days or half a month toward the end—the problem truly lay with her.

Zhou Siyu stared blankly at the last message Xu You had sent her.

Somehow, the memories of that night remained persistently hazy. The pain in Xu You’s eyes when they met at the annual gala, the finality in her words—her mind had selectively erased them, leaving only a tangled mess behind.

The WeChat icon in the lower right corner of her screen blinked, and the vibration of her phone beside her reminded her to check the message.

Her dazed eyes lit up again as Xu You tapped the notification and saw it was from Xu You, a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

[I’ll come up to you. Let’s sketch in the office.]

Reading Xu You’s message clearly, Zhou Siyu’s smile immediately vanished. She leaned forward, double-checking she hadn’t misread it, rubbed her hands together, and began strategizing how to respond.

Honestly, it was tough. She had spent a long time guessing the other’s possible moves based on her own hand, preparing numerous countermeasures, only for the other to throw out a mahjong tile while she was holding a deck of cards, utterly incompatible, let alone trying to suppress or win.

[Isn’t it inappropriate at the company? Won’t your colleagues see and gossip?]

Xu You replied quickly.

[No, they’re too busy to care about others. Besides, who hasn’t seen those photos from that day? All the wild thoughts and baseless talk have already happened. I’m not afraid of that, getting the work done is what matters most. If you’re worried, I’ll take the stairs. And even if we consider the worst-case scenario, since you’re one of the involved parties, they wouldn’t dare gossip recklessly.]

Before packing her bag, Xu You confirmed the upcoming details with Zhou Siyu. She hadn’t expected Zhou Siyu to have reservations and typed out her reply in one go. Looking back at the words “take the stairs,” a chill ran down her spine.

She was now intensely afraid of endless spaces, always worried danger might lurk around the next corner.

Zhou Siyu’s reply took a long time to come. Taking advantage of the lull, Xu You packed her things, shut down her computer, and decided to go upstairs to meet in person and finalize the plan. As she picked up her bag, her phone screen lit up with “Zhou Siyu” displayed prominently in the center. Answering the call while walking out, she waved at a colleague who greeted her.

“What’s the plan?” Xu You asked Zhou Siyu, her hands busy. “Should I come up?”

“I’m not in the office,” Zhou Siyu said, just as a ding sounded in the background.

Xu You walked to the elevator lobby and pressed the button, inexplicably glancing at Zhou Siyu’s private elevator at the far end. The floor display above it showed the elevator descending from an upper floor.

“Where are you going? If it won’t take long, I can go up and wait for you.”

A faint hum of the elevator echoed in her ears as the one she was waiting for ascended from the first floor. Xu You prepared to step in as soon as it arrived.

Zhou Siyu surrendered, opting for honesty: “I know you don’t want to meet with me privately. At the office, I’m afraid I won’t be able to relax.”

“Then where do you suggest?” Xu You stepped forward, held the button to cancel the upward call, and pressed the down button instead.

“Let’s go to a restaurant. I’ve reserved a private room where we can sketch while eating.”

After saying this, Zhou Siyu swallowed nervously. She had no idea what Xu You was thinking, whether she’d refuse or agree. Only when Xu You spoke would she find out.

The elevator stopped at the parking garage level, its doors opening and closing.

Every passing second felt excruciatingly long.

“Is your car still in the same spot? Never mind, come pick me up at this elevator lobby in the garage.” Xu You’s voice reappeared in the receiver, and Zhou Siyu realized it meant agreement, instinctively letting out an “Ah.”

Xu You stepped out with an elevator full of colleagues, took a few steps, and found herself unable to move forward. The mental barrier was too strong, not only could she not advance, but she even felt like retreating.

“You made this plan last minute. If I wait to notify my driver, it’ll waste at least half an hour. If you’re already in the car, I’ll wait at the company entrance, and you can take me directly to the restaurant.”

After explaining, Xu You turned around.

The phone was still pressed to her ear as two elevators ascended simultaneously. The crowd that emerged had all dispersed. In the cramped elevator lobby, she unexpectedly collided with Zhou Siyu’s slightly hurried figure.

In the same posture, the two of them looked as if they were mirroring each other.

Xu You steadied herself, naturally hung up the call, and put her phone away. “Let’s go,” she said.

The busy tone in her ear mingled with Xu You’s voice. Zhou Siyu felt a surge of happiness at this unexpected encounter. Setting down the things in her hands, she walked ahead in a daze, leading the way.

Xu You’s gaze fell on Zhou Siyu’s back. Ahead of her was the garage, brightly lit as if it were daytime. Only then did she realize the garage lights had been replaced with ones that stayed on constantly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the wide-open stairwell, also illuminated brightly.

A sudden warmth flooded her heart, and a sense of security washed over her.

At that moment, it wasn’t just the corridors and the parking lot that were illuminated.

Though moved, Xu You didn’t show it. She followed half a step behind Zhou Siyu, matching her pace as they approached her car.

From a few meters away, Zhou Siyu pressed the unlock button, and the car’s parking lights flashed briefly. Instead of heading straight to the driver’s side, she first went to the right and opened the passenger door for Xu You. Only after Xu You was seated and the door was closed did she circle around to get into the driver’s seat.

“Are you managing your workload lately? Do you really not need a few more days off?” Zhou Siyu asked as the car started, the engine warming up. Her right hand rested on the gearshift, her demeanor calm, though her eyes secretly glanced toward the passenger seat.

Xu You’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “No need,” she replied.

Zhou Siyu’s subtle actions were all too obvious, her gaze practically lingered on Xu You’s cheek. Pretending not to notice, Xu You remained in the confined space with her, though she couldn’t shake the discomfort and tightness in her chest.

“What do you want to eat?” Xu You asked, pulling out her phone, unlocking it, and looking down.

A hint of joy appeared on Zhou Siyu’s face, softening her usually cool features like a spring thaw. Her tone unconsciously lightened. “Guess?”

The conversation felt like it had rewound four years. Xu You was momentarily lost in thought. She had just opened her chat with Yu Yao, her fingers typing out a long string of characters on the keyboard. Pressing her lips together, she snapped back to reality, her fingers trembling as she sent the message in the editing bar.

She held down the message to retract it, letting silence serve as her reply.

Zhou Siyu’s back stiffened, her earlier ease stripped away. A bitter smile surfaced as she pressed down on the clutch with her right foot.

“Right,” she murmured.

Yu Yao, seeing the “message retracted” notification, sent a question mark. Xu You leaned back in the passenger seat, locked her phone to minimize her presence, and distanced herself from the awkwardness.

[I’ll be back later today. Don’t worry about me.]

[Are you working overtime at the company? What about dinner? We’re hanging out near your office today. Want us to bring you something?]

[No need. I’m not at the company. Freelance work, the client is covering the meal.]

Facing the question mark on her screen, the air still thick with tension, Xu You quickly glanced at Zhou Siyu. After sending her reply, she leaned her head back against the headrest and watched the road ahead.

Zhou Siyu drove with strict adherence to rules, never engaging in road rage. Whenever Xu You rode in Yu Yao’s car, she’d feel anxious. In contrast, with Zhou Siyu behind the wheel, she felt completely at ease.

She was accustomed to this sense of stability, her gaze drifting to the cityscape outside the window.

The streetlights had just come on, and it was the peak hour for people returning from work and school. Traffic moved in fits and starts, while pedestrians hurried across crosswalks.

Xu You didn’t know how many people were rushing home, nor how many were still searching for a moment of peace in this vast city. She used to feel that with Zhou Siyu by her side, she had a home and a sense of belonging in Beicheng. But at this moment, watching the pedestrians crisscrossing the streets and the weary faces in the bus next to them, she suddenly felt she could no longer blend into this city.

Swept into the flow of traffic, everyone was forced to move and stop together.

“Have you bought the plane ticket?” Their car slowed to a halt, and Zhou Siyu asked abruptly, out of the blue.

The sunlight had grown very faint, and the streetlights on both sides of the road flickered on. The slanting beams of light pierced through the glass, casting shadows on Zhou Siyu’s profile. Her curled lashes, her high nose bridge, and the soft shape of her lips were all mirrored on the other side of her face, starkly contrasted in light and shadow.

Her eyes were unfathomable, concealing both helplessness and sorrow.

Xu You shifted her gaze from the street to the left, aware that Zhou Siyu could see her movements clearly, and nodded.

Zhou Siyu understood.

She would definitely leave.