A comment made me reflect on myself, so I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to all the lovely ladies:
Yu Zhou has a short temper, and recently some of my physical and mental illnesses have relapsed, to the point that I even need an oxygen machine to sleep. I'm taking medication daily, studying for exams, and occasionally going for therapy. I didn't want to talk about it because I was afraid you'd think I was making excuses for not updating, or being dramatic. I don't write to make money; I just want to make you laugh, to let you experience some joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness through my words. Therefore, it's hard for me to calmly view some issues, and I sometimes have unpleasant encounters with readers who meant no harm, or rather, my words have hurt you. I sincerely apologize for this. I'm sorry, girls, Yu Zhou will try his best to change. Please forgive me! I genuinely realize that what I did was wrong!
As for the following words, please don't take them personally, don't take them to heart, just consider them as the universe's grumbling:
I welcome any opinions or suggestions regarding the article. I will definitely revise it if it's reasonable, and I will explain if it's not acceptable. However, the premise is that we have basic respect for each other. Please refrain from questioning, insulting, or making personal attacks. We are equal; just because I put in the work doesn't mean I deserve to be criticized and questioned. Before you lecture me, please also consider your own character.
Chapter 53 Too Late
Chu Weiyuan is right, the person who most wants to see Tao Yunjia hasn't arrived yet.
On the morning Tao Yunjia was taken away, no one was alerted. She was simply dressed in her usual clothes and escorted by two policewomen, one on each side, to the waiting police car. As soon as she left the ward, she saw Chu Mu standing not far away.
Tao Yunjia stopped and laughed as if showing off. "I thought you wouldn't come."
The marks Chu Weiyuan had struck on her face hadn't completely faded yet; her slightly swollen face wore a pale smile, making one inexplicably sigh and feel disgusted.
Chu Mu stood there as calmly as before, but the coldness and hatred in his eyes were impossible to conceal. Looking at the woman who had been entangled with him since university, his voice was dangerous and weary.
“You shouldn’t have done that. I warned you.”
Tao Yunjia suddenly broke free from the restraint as if she had collapsed, and grabbed Chu Mu's hand.
"Then what should I do? Huh? Chu Mu, tell me what to do! I told you, I love you, but you haven't responded to all my hard work and dedication! Why, why can Shu Yi'an rightfully have you! Why can she have everything I don't have!"
"Because I love her."
Chu Mu forcefully pulled his hand away from her grasp and uttered those four words clearly and slowly.
He gripped Tao Yunjia's chin with tremendous force, revealing a side of Chu Mu that no one had ever seen before, his eyes bloodshot and his tone chilling.
“I warned you not to try to contact her in any way, Tao Yunjia. You have no right to hurt Shu Yi’an.”
Even before returning to China from Berlin, Chu Mu had a vague feeling that Tao Yunjia was investigating her. So, after returning, he specifically instructed people to collect and personally put away some records related to Shu Yi'an. He always thought that since he was back, he could stay by her side and nothing would go wrong. But he never expected that he would still be unable to overcome some unexpected coincidences.
Tao Yunjia felt humiliated because the words he feared most had been spoken so easily. He felt as if he had been stripped naked and had nowhere to hide.
"You...love her? You love her?" Tao Yunjia murmured, repeating the question over and over, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Chu Mu, you've never said you loved me..."
She'd been with him for so long... a thousand days and nights and she hadn't even received a single word of love in return. Now, that woman had only been married to him for two years, and this cold and ruthless man could openly say that he loved Shu Yi'an...
Chu Mu abruptly released his touch, and Tao Yunjia stumbled and fell against the wall. As if to preserve her last shred of dignity, Tao Yunjia steadied herself, raised her head high, and spoke with a contemptuous tone.
"So what's the situation now? Shu Yi'an lost a child and now she wants me to pay with my life?! Your sister has already hit me, and now you want to hit her too?"
Tao Yunjia never imagined that Shu Yi'an held such a significant place in Chu Mu's heart, nor did she expect that Chu Mu valued her so highly. Seeing her at the hospital entrance that day was purely a case of fleeting jealousy, stemming from a woman's innate vanity. Coupled with Chu Mu's continued presence at the hospital during her injury, she couldn't help but feel elated. Her words became uncontrollable, and in a moment of impulsiveness, she blurted out that she was pregnant to Shu Yi'an.
Tao Yunjia would never have imagined that the person who was actually confirmed to be pregnant that day would be Shu Yi'an.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Chu Mu was able to speak calmly and rationally with this woman who was on the verge of collapse and madness.
“I won’t hit anyone, but you must understand the principle of an eye for an eye. Tao Yunjia, this is the price you must pay.”
“I know your crime doesn’t warrant death, but since I’ve said it, I will do it. After all… there are countless ways to make you wish you were dead.”
If a man cannot protect his wife and children, he is unworthy of being a husband. He lost his child; the child left before the father even knew of its arrival. How could he convince himself to forgive the one who caused all of this? Even if Chu Mu knew, he was also the most unforgivable person in this tragic separation.
Turning around and walking away while straightening his cuffs that she had crumpled, Chu Mu listened to the siren fading into the distance. At this moment, he had no desire to look back at her again. All the resentment and intense love and hate he felt for the past vanished in that instant.
All he could think about and see was the person lying in the hospital bed.
Meanwhile, Shu Yi'an, who was recuperating in another building, was completely unaware of this matter.
After ten days of meticulous care at the hospital and daily nutritional supplements, Shu Yi'an recovered very well. The doctor came to check on her in the morning and said she could be discharged to recuperate at home, but it was best to be cautious.
When Chu Mu came in, Shu Yi'an was changing clothes. When they saw him standing at the door, they both paused.
Shu Yi'an's hand, which was pulling down her sweater, froze for a moment. Then, she gave herself a disdainful look and continued pulling the hem down. What was there to be embarrassed or shy about? They had been able to be completely open and honest with each other when they were intimately naked together, so what was there to be afraid of now?
"Ready to be discharged?"
"Yeah, it's all right now. It doesn't matter where you keep it."
The ankle-length sweater dress wrapped Shu Yi'an up completely, giving her an inexplicable sense of warmth. Looking at how much thinner she had become in the past few days, she suddenly looked up and said,
"Chu Mu, shall we talk?"
Chu Mu shrugged helplessly, a self-deprecating look clearly in his eyes.
"I thought you would wait for me to say that."
Taking the hot water he handed her, Shu Yi'an lowered her eyes and smiled. "I'm afraid I can't wait any longer."
"You..." Chu Mu opened his mouth but found it really hard to speak after only uttering the first word. However, seeing the person sitting on the bed, he still had to force himself to ask the question he least wanted to ask, and he couldn't help but cough.
"Have you... thought it through?"
The warmth in her hand allowed Shu Yi'an to truly feel his emotions. She looked down at the steaming cup, making it impossible to see his expression.
"Chu Mu, even at this moment, I cannot point to my chest and say with conviction that I no longer love you."
The fingers that had been hanging limply at his sides suddenly tightened. Chu Mu and Shu Yi'an looked up at each other almost simultaneously, their astonishment unmistakable. A difficult swallow escaped his throat.
"I thought... I thought you would at least hate me to the core."
"I don't hate you." Shu Yi'an slowly got up and walked to the window, trying to calmly express her truest thoughts. "If I had to describe my emotions, it would be disappointment."
"Chu Mu, I am a very stubborn person and never listen to other people's advice. When I was little, I practiced dancing for more than ten years. Many people, including my grandfather, advised me to stop dancing, but I didn't listen and insisted on participating in competitions and exams. But look, I lost my parents because of my persistence."