Chapter Eighteen
The wipers slid across the windshield again and again. Chu Mu turned the car in from the street corner and looked at the apartment building in the distance, then suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.
Because a warm light shone from the small window high up, this tiny light seemed incredibly bright in the night. Chu Mu hurriedly drove the car into the parking lot, and on the way back, he was still certain of his judgment. He knew Shu Yi'an; she would never run off there alone to vent her anger. Given her personality, she would only leave alone after encountering something unpleasant. Excluding all external negative factors, Miss Shu's ultimate destination could only be this place—his home in Berlin.
Of course, this was the best outcome Chu Mu could hope for. He had already quickly prepared for everything that might happen after he left the hotel. If he couldn't find her along the way home, and the lights in his house weren't on, he might call in the city's entire street surveillance system to search for his wife under the guise of searching for a missing Chinese citizen.
Chu Mu watched the elevator numbers climb higher and higher, and suddenly laughed at himself inwardly. When did you become so indecisive, so easily swayed by others' emotions?
Separated by a door, Chu Mu took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
The main living room light wasn't on; only a floor lamp was lit in front of the French windows. Shu Yi'an was wrapped in a thick blanket, her head resting against the glass, seemingly lost in thought. She didn't even react to the sound of the door opening. From Chu Mu's perspective, all he could see was her half-dry hair and her huddled-up profile.
Only when he saw her sitting there alive did Chu Mu's heart truly settle down, and at the same time, he felt a trace of annoyance at her worry.
Taking off his slightly rain-soaked suit jacket, Chu Mu calmly asked as he walked into the house, "Why did you come back so late without waiting for me?"
Upon hearing this, Shu Yi'an's long eyelashes fluttered, and she uttered four words in a voice even calmer than his, almost devoid of emotion, "I don't want to wait for you."
Chu Mu paused, his hand holding the pajamas still, and lost all patience to coax her. He simply walked straight up to her and asked, word by word, "Shu Yi'an, what's wrong?"
Looking at the drizzling rain outside the window, the despair that had been welling up in Shu Yi'an's heart suddenly burst forth without warning because of his words.
As the waltz ended, he looked at her coldly and said, "Unexpectedly, Shu Yi'an." Now he stood before her again, looking impatient, and said, "Shu Yi'an, what's wrong with you?"
Shu Yi'an moved her curled-up legs, finally unable to bear it any longer, and threw what she was holding at Chu Mu, then wrapped herself even tighter in the blanket. Her voice was cold.
"Chu Mu, you're a real bastard."
In the dim light, Shu Yi'an mustered her courage, suddenly looked up to meet his eyes, and pronounced those four words clearly and distinctly.
Chu Mu stood before her, listening to her accusations. He calmly glanced at the woman, who was adopting a wary posture, and spoke slowly and softly, "Me, a bastard?"
"Shu Yi'an, what exactly did I do to make you think this way? Tell me."
Shu Yi'an was momentarily angered by his retort, and the little lamb couldn't help but feel indignant and ready to rebel. "I have to exist in your life according to your expectations every day. If one day you find that I am different from what you think, you will be very angry. But why? We are different to begin with. But you never ask me why we are different, nor do you want to understand. Is this really fair to me?"
"You're so sure I'll depend on you and won't dare leave you."
"Seeing me in such a destitute and humble state, are you especially happy? So you can recklessly squander all my feelings and efforts."
Chu Mu held the hot towel she had thrown at him in his hand, and looking at her increasingly red eyes, he suddenly smiled sarcastically. "Shu Yi'an, I must be fucking crazy to even think of staying in Beijing to be with you."
The sound of rain outside the window grew louder and louder. Shu Yi'an looked at the door that had been slammed shut and, as if she had lost all her strength, slumped back onto the floor.
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In the quiet corridor, Chu Mu's phone suddenly rang. Chu Mu answered with a grim expression, "Hello?"
The secretary's voice was anxious and serious on the other end, "Boss, something's happened."
A tour bus carrying Chinese tourists overturned due to mudslides, and rescue efforts are underway. Representative Chu Mu, representing the Chinese side, should promptly go to the scene to negotiate and provide the necessary assistance to his people.
Chu Mu, who was holding the phone and walking towards the elevator, suddenly stopped and replied in a low voice, "I understand. I will organize the medical staff at the embassy immediately. Have the driver pick me up from the embassy in half an hour."
After standing there in contemplation for half a minute, Chu Mu sighed slightly and turned to the woman in the room to admit defeat and compromise.
Because he couldn't force himself to forget the scattered wounds on her feet when he returned, and the towel she had thrown at him. What normal woman would put a warm towel on herself for no reason?
Shu Yi'an lay on the floor, feeling drowsy. She vaguely heard the sound of a door closing, and before she could react, she was swept into a warm and familiar embrace.
Chu Mu watched as her eyes, which had initially shown surprise, calmed down in his arms. He watched as her hands, which had instinctively wrapped around his neck, slowly fell down. He suppressed his emotions and gently placed her on the bed.
The blanket slipped to the floor, exposing Shu Yi'an's legs, which had been covered, to the air. Only then could Chu Mu see her swollen knees and the bruises on her feet.
Time was running out, and Chu Mu didn't have time to ask any more questions. He just hurriedly found some medicated plasters to bandage her knees and then heated two towels to cover Shu Yi'an's knees.
From the moment he came in and hugged her, Shu Yi'an couldn't suppress the stinging in her nose, and with the few movements she made while bandaging herself, she completely broke down.
Watching her tears fall drop by drop onto the back of her hand, Chu Mu reached out and pinched her chin, half-forcing Shu Yi'an to look at him. "Some tourists have had an accident here, and I have to rush over to deal with it. No matter what, don't hurt yourself. We can talk about some things when I get back."
Shu Yi'an looked at the handsome and mature man in front of her and choked up, sobbing uncontrollably. He always had this ability to put her in a dilemma in the simplest and most tender way after she had become disheartened.
The phone kept ringing, urging him to hurry up. Chu Mu took one last look at the person on the bed, covered her with the blanket, turned off the light, and left.
Miss Shu was probably really upset this time, so when the sun rose the next day, she still decided to leave. But she was a very grateful person, and to express her gratitude for his shelter during those few days, she made sure to clean the room thoroughly before leaving.
Even the clothes in the wardrobe are washed, ironed, and carefully arranged according to the season.
When she first arrived, Chu Mu had given her a key. Shu Yi'an looked at the shiny access card in her palm and gently placed it on the coffee table. She had only been here for three days, but it felt like three years had passed. Carrying her suitcase, Shu Yi'an looked around the room and truly felt a sense of dread, as if this encounter was a dream.
He appeared when she was most shocked and angry after being violated and took her away. He went to the supermarket with her to buy groceries and household goods. He took her to his usual furniture store and picked out a pair of suitable slippers for her. He was so good to her, but look, she still has to leave.
When Shu Yi-an went to Happerdaff's studio again, Daff was styling other customers. When he saw Shu Yi-an carrying a suitcase, he quickly opened the door and let her in.
"Sister-in-law, why didn't you tell me? I could have picked you up with all these things."
The words "sister-in-law" sounded somewhat jarring to Shu Yi'an at that moment. She forced a smile and handed over the pristine white box. "These are the shoes and dress I got from you the other day. Thank you so much."
Duff looked at the two cardboard boxes strangely and waved his hand blankly. "Why are you giving them back to me? These were originally for you... Don't you like them?"
Shu Yi'an looked thoughtfully at the crystal-encrusted shoes and slowly shook her head. "It's not that I don't like them, it's just that they don't suit me."
Seeing that Duff wasn't going to put the things away, she simply placed them on the dressing table beside her. "Thanks, I'm leaving now."
"Hey! Sister-in-law, where are you going with all that stuff?"
Shu Yi'an suddenly stopped pushing the shop door, turned around and gave Dafu a bright smile. "Let's go home."