Chased by My Heartless Ex - Chapter 85

The conversation didn’t continue. After the traffic light, at the next intersection, Zhou Siyu turned the steering wheel to the left. Soon, the car came to a stop in the ground parking lot of Jianghu Renjia.

Xu You glanced at the Jiangnan-style architecture outside the window before withdrawing her gaze. The car had already stopped, and the stagnant air, mixed with the warm breeze from the air conditioning vent, carried Zhou Siyu’s scent to her nose. It felt as though her breathing had synchronized with Zhou Siyu’s.

Xu You lowered her eyes, the ends of her curly hair swaying back and forth in the breeze. Setting aside the necessity of work-related interactions, the two of them couldn’t even find a word to exchange while sitting in the same car.

Under such circumstances, the idea of reconciliation was simply laughable.

“Let’s go, I’m hungry,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt first and opening the car door without a hint of reluctance.

The next second, the sound of the door slamming shut echoed in Zhou Siyu’s ears. Her grip on the gearshift tightened, veins bulging slightly on her hand before receding as she relaxed her arm.

Her heart, soaked in bitterness, did not stop beating, and her longing for Xu You did not diminish or disappear.

She would not give up, at least not in this lifetime.

Zhou Siyu steeled her resolve, grabbed her phone, and got out of the car.

Walking side by side in silence, the two reached the main entrance of the restaurant. The hostess confirmed their reservation and led them to their reserved private room.

Jianghu Renjia was the most renowned restaurant in Beicheng specializing in Shanghainese cuisine. It wasn’t just the flavors of the food, the meticulously recreated garden architecture, complete with pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water, immersed diners in an experience that made them feel as though they were in Shanghai, even while in Beicheng.

While such an environment had many advantages, it also had one peculiar drawback: it took a considerable amount of time just to reach the private room.

Along the way, the restaurant typically introduced traditional dishes and the garden’s layout to couples or families dining together. However, faced with two ex-lovers who were as uncommunicative as strangers, the hostess walked briskly ahead, leading them straight to their destination without pause.

As luck would have it, their room was located at the very back of the restaurant.

“Old Zhou?”

“Xu You?”

Zhou Siyu walked behind the hostess, and Xu You followed behind Zhou Siyu. Two voices, each with a completely different tone, drifted from ahead. Xu You, who had been lost in thought and scanning her surroundings aimlessly, snapped back to attention and leaned forward curiously to see who it was.

As fate would have it, they ran into Zhang Qin and Cheng Cheng, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time.

Running into old friends and close pals inevitably led to greetings and small talk. Xu You, dizzy with hunger, pretended not to hear the surprised call of her name and stood to the side, waiting.

Under the dim lighting, Zhang Qin’s eyes shone with unmistakable affection as she gazed at Zhou Siyu. “Old Zhou, you two…”

Her undisguised adoration was nothing new, Xu You had long been aware of her feelings after several conversations and warnings. Initially, Xu You had no intention of paying them any attention, but upon hearing Zhang Qin’s use of the intimate nickname “Old Zhou” for Zhou Siyu, she couldn’t help but glance over in curiosity. Unexpectedly, she met Zhang Qin’s jealous and hostile glare.

If it weren’t for the crowd and her desire to avoid becoming the center of attention, Xu You would have retorted sharply to teach her some manners.

She held back but couldn’t resist rolling her eyes exaggeratedly, which nearly caused Zhang Qin to shed her refined, aristocratic facade and lunge at her in a fit of rage.

In this round of one-on-one eye contact battle, Xu You won without a doubt. Beating them felt meaningless, and she didn’t experience even a hint of victory’s joy. All she wanted now was for Zhou Siyu to wrap things up quickly so she could eat, finish today’s task, and go home.

Zhou Siyu seemed equally unwilling to engage with them for long. As Zhang Qin’s venomous gaze swept over, she quickly shifted to stand between the two, shielding Xu You from view.

With her back to Xu You, her expression was unreadable. “Is there something you need?”

“Old Zhou, why haven’t you been hanging out with us lately? We’ve invited you several times, but you never show up. They’re starting to get upset.” It wasn’t Zhang Qin who spoke, but Cheng Cheng.

Cheng Cheng and Zhang Qin, in their high heels, stood a head taller than Zhou Siyu. Zhou Siyu looked up at them, her expression unchanged, her thin lips parting coolly. “Oh, I don’t care.”

Cheng Cheng had intended to remind Zhou Siyu to spend more time with them to strengthen their bond, hoping to create an opportunity to bring her and Zhang Qin closer. But this indifferent response left her speechless, her mouth hanging open without a retort.

Zhang Qin, more sensitive, gently nudged Cheng Cheng with her elbow and forced a sweet smile. “You know Cheng Cheng didn’t mean it that way. We heard your company has a new project keeping you busy. We understand if you don’t have time right now, but once you’re free, let’s plan something together.”

Hidden behind Zhou Siyu, Xu You listened to their pointless back-and-forth, bored enough to press the tip of her shoe into the gaps between the cobblestones. Unable to interrupt, she could only silently urge them to hurry up and say goodbye.

Zhou Siyu remained silent for several seconds before speaking again. “The project isn’t something I’m handling alone. The workload is about the same as usual. I’m not busy, I just don’t want to waste my time.”

Waste time?

The words were spoken lightly, with no regard for sparing their feelings.

Zhang Qin struggled to maintain her composure, her smile freezing on her face, her complexion shifting between pale and flushed. Beside her, Cheng Cheng was instantly enraged, her eyes widening as she confronted Zhou Siyu.

In her fury, she blurted out everything: “What do you mean by that? Hanging out with us is a waste of time? Then what about now? Having dinner with an old flame isn’t a waste? I’ve never seen you so irrational. She dumped you, and you’re still chasing after her.”

Xu You was Zhou Siyu’s sore spot. While Xu You could provoke her, no one else was allowed to.

Hearing Cheng Cheng’s words, Zhang Qin quickly grabbed her sleeve to stop her. Cheng Cheng fell silent but still wore a defiant expression, glaring at Zhou Siyu.

“Finished?” Zhou Siyu spun the plain ring on her index finger with her thumb.

The tense atmosphere ahead piqued Xu You’s curiosity. Detached from the conflict, she instinctively perked up her ears to catch every word. But just as she withdrew her foot, Zhou Siyu turned sideways, exposing her to the others.

“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s go.” Her voice softened when she spoke to Xu You.

It was like a Sichuan opera face-changing performance, and everyone present saw it clearly.

Xu You’s clear, bright eyes darted between them. To Zhang Qin and Cheng Cheng, it seemed like a provocation. Zhou Siyu, thinking she was still intimidated by them as before, was about to stand up for her when she heard Xu You speak softly.

“Let’s go quickly, or I’ll lose my appetite.” With that, she gestured with her chin for the waiter to lead the way and walked past the two adversaries without a backward glance.

Zhou Siyu was more than happy to play the devoted follower, trailing behind Xu You as they left.

Left behind and ignored, Zhang Qin and Cheng Cheng exchanged a glance filled with nothing but venom.

Xu You’s stomach had been damaged from irregular meals during her previous work. Even after years of careful recovery, she still felt particularly uncomfortable if she didn’t eat her three meals at the usual times. Earlier, when she mentioned feeling hungry, a faint discomfort had already begun to stir in her lower abdomen. Entering the private room, she chose a seat away from the main position and unceremoniously asked the server to bring the food.

Zhou Siyu followed closely behind and, hearing this, also urged them to hurry before naturally taking the seat next to Xu You.

As the server left to relay the order, Xu You asked seriously, “Could you move to the opposite seat?”

“Huh?” Zhou Siyu blurted out.

She hadn’t expected Xu You to dislike her so much. The boldness she’d shown earlier toward Cheng Cheng and Zhang Qin vanished completely, and her innocent expression resembled that of a puppy abandoned by its owner. If she had a tail, it would surely droop and sweep weakly across the floor.

Xu You couldn’t care less about her hurt feelings or fragile ego. She poured herself a glass of warm water, pressed the rim to her lips, and said, “You’re sitting too close for me to observe properly. The lighting is better on the other side, it’s the most suitable spot in this room.”

The puppy’s tail metaphorically spiraled upward. Zhou Siyu’s gloom vanished instantly, and she cheerfully moved to the opposite seat.

Xu You noted her expression. As the warm water flowed into her mouth, down her throat, and into her stomach, a comforting warmth spread through her. She set the glass down, propped her chin on her hand, and tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

Though her body felt more at ease, a restlessness stirred within her. She craved a cigarette.

“I’m going out for a smoke,” she thought, retrieving a cigarette case from the bottom of her bag along with the metal lighter Yu Yao had specially given her. She stood up to leave.

Zhou Siyu’s brows furrowed briefly before smoothing over. “Smoking indoors is prohibited in Beicheng except in designated smoking areas. As far as I know, there’s no smoking room here. And outside, with all the flowers and plants, it might not be allowed either.”

When a desire goes unfulfilled, the restlessness only intensifies.

Xu You, being law-abiding, wouldn’t deliberately break the rules. She tossed the cigarette case back into her bag. Her doctor had advised using a comfort object to distract herself when necessary, so she kept the lighter, fiddling with it between her fingers.

She repeatedly flicked the metal lid of the lighter open and shut. The clicking sound drilled into her heart like thousands of insects gnawing and devouring it, the agitation nearly consuming her entire being.

“Have this instead.”

Xu You looked up to see a piece of gum sliding smoothly across the table toward her.

Watermelon flavor, her favorite fruit flavor.

From what she remembered, Zhou Siyu had never liked artificially sweetened flavors like this, and gum had never been part of her life. Picking it up slowly, Xu You unwrapped it and asked, “Are you chewing gum to quit smoking?”

That was the only reason she could think of. After speaking, she popped the gum into her mouth.

A strange blush suddenly crept across Zhou Siyu’s cheeks.

She nodded in confirmation.

No one knew how devastating their reunion had been for her. The pride she once took in the age gap and the experience it represented had been replaced by the crushing remark, “Too old and useless.” She felt helpless, reflected on herself, and resolved to improve, quitting smoking and getting fit were both on her agenda.

Thankfully, Xu You didn’t ask why.

“When did you start smoking?” Zhou Siyu asked, clearing her throat lightly.

Xu You chewed the hard piece until it softened, the sweetness of watermelon filling her mouth. She pressed the gum between her tongue and teeth, about to blow a round bubble, when Zhou Siyu’s question caught her off guard. She paused almost imperceptibly, then pretended nonchalance as she flexed her tongue and cheeks to puff out a pale pink circle.

The spherical raindrops grew larger until they could no longer hold their form, bursting with a resounding crack.

Memories gradually surfaced, recalling that the first attempt seemed to be at the age of nineteen.

The unchangeable age gap with Zhou Siyu had placed immense pressure on her. Back then, she desperately wanted to grow up quickly to become someone who could stand by her side. She had imitated her style of dressing, but unable to withstand the biting cold, she switched back to her heavy cotton coat the very next day. She had imitated her makeup, and with just a little effort, she could make herself look eighty percent like her. Yet, the unfamiliar face in the mirror was no longer her own.

Of course, she had also imitated the way she held a cigarette between her fingers, taking a deep drag and exhaling, hiding herself in the white smoke. But she had never learned how to push the smoke from her mouth into her nostrils. After a fit of violent coughing, the cigarette had already burned out, leaving only her in a sorry state and a trail of ash.

Later, she stopped caring about the differences between them. Smoking was no longer about imitating her but about forgetting.

The psychological effects of nicotine stimulating the central nervous system brought her pleasure and comfort, and she loved it.

An invisible haze of white smoke separated the two. Xu You remained silent for a long time, and Zhou Siyu’s heart raced abnormally. She thought she should change the subject when a knock came at the door.

“Good evening, here to serve your dish.”