Hearing the faint breathing on the other end of the phone, Chu Mu paused. His heart sank uncontrollably. He took a very slow, deep breath and tentatively asked a question, as if afraid of disturbing the person on the other end.
"Yi'an?"
That single word, "Yi'an," instantly shattered all her psychological defenses, and the sobs that had been suppressed in her throat burst forth like water overflowing a dam. In that instant, Shu Yi'an suddenly understood what Xiao Ke had said to her before he left: "The feeling he gave you is something none of us can give you."
Chu Mu gave Shu Yi'an a sense of security that no one else could replace. Even though they were separated and thousands of miles apart, as long as she heard his voice, all the panic and fear in her heart would disappear.
What was originally just a suspicion in Chu Mu's mind was confirmed by her kitten-like whimpering. He quickly took out his phone to check the time and number. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Zhihan suddenly stood gracefully behind Chu Mu, her voice neither too loud nor too soft.
"Why aren't you coming in yet? We're waiting for you!"
The clear, pleasant female voice came through the static. Shu Yi'an's eyes widened, and she abruptly pressed the button on the phone as if she had done something wrong. She swallowed back the words she was about to say... She wanted to say, "Chu Mu, I miss you so much"; she wanted to say, "Chu Mu, it's so hard raising the baby alone, I can't hold on much longer"; she wanted to say, "Chu Mu, I'm not doing well at all, even though I tell everyone I'm fine, only I know that it's actually terrible."
So many of her hidden vulnerabilities almost spilled out in that instant, yet he was with another woman in the early hours of the morning… She heard another woman calling out to him in a coquettish tone…
Shu Yi'an turned off her phone and threw it far away. Curled up in the blanket, she thought somewhat absentmindedly, "He seems to be doing really well. It must be my abrupt intrusion that has caused him trouble..."
Hearing the dial tone of the call being disconnected, Chu Mu closed his eyes and silently swore at Zhou Zhihan with his back turned.
"Don't you understand basic etiquette, like not interrupting someone's phone call?"
Zhou Zhihan hadn't expected such a strong reaction from just calling his name, and felt a little embarrassed. She was quite ashamed. "They're all waiting for you...it's to celebrate your promotion, there's no need to be this angry, is it some important call?"
Chu Mu's tone and expression were both unpleasant. He coldly tossed out the words "Very important" and walked out without looking back. Zhou Zhihan stomped her foot angrily and followed him out.
"Chu Mu, do you have any conscience? I've waited for you for so many years. I even came back from England to celebrate for you!"
Chu Mu walked straight to the car without stopping, and with one hand on the car door, his voice was clear.
"So let me tell you clearly now, I have a wife, and I have no interest in you, nor any thoughts or expectations of you. Is that clear enough?"
Although Zhou Zhihan cared deeply for Chu Mu, she was still a woman nearing thirty. For her, saving face was far more important than love. He'd so bluntly denied it, which infuriated her.
“You’re divorced, I have a chance, we should compete fairly.”
Chu Mu sneered, got into the car, and turned the key. "Don't try to use your overseas study tricks on me. I won't pursue the matter of you coming to my house in private. If you don't want to see the Chu family and the Zhou family fall out, you'd better find someone to marry sooner rather than later. Don't waste your time on me."
Some people just don't like you, no matter how long you wait or hope for them, they will never belong to you. Zhou Zhihan forced herself to take two deep breaths, suppressing her emotions. It was just a phone call... was he really that angry? Watching the taillights of the car disappear into the distance, her eyes were filled with desolation, and all the confidence she had felt crumbled like a mountain.
With one hand on the steering wheel, he repeatedly dialed the number back, but unsurprisingly, it was switched off. Frustrated, Chu Mu floored the accelerator and drove aimlessly through the streets. He'd originally been part of a group of people causing trouble after his business trip, using his promotion as an excuse, but Zhou Zhihan had followed them too. Damn it!
Thinking of the weak, suppressed sobs on the phone, Chu Mu was understandably frantic with worry. He had no idea what she was going through, and that feeling of helplessness made him incredibly irritable.
Looking at the number, Chu Mu quickly thought of someone, slammed on the brakes, and made a call.
"It's extremely urgent! Help me find a phone number and its location."
Within just over ten minutes, the other party responded.
Chu Mu stared at the two words on the screen. He moved his lips slightly and slowly read out the name of the place he had been searching for for half a year without any results.
Suzhou.
Author's note: Finally, Miss Shu couldn't hold on any longer. Shall we let them meet?
Yesterday I saw many comments expressing concern for Zhou Zhihan, but actually her mission was already complete at this moment. I've almost reached chapter sixty, nearly the end, and I'm a little reluctant to say goodbye.
We agreed to end the festival after the first snowfall here, but the weather forecast says it will snow on Sunday...
Okay, okay, goodnight. Also, I received all the adorable things thrown by the lovely ladies like Muddy Rainbow, Unparalleled Beauty, and others. Words can't express my gratitude, so I'm updating this post to say thank you!
Chapter 60 Searching for Her a Thousand Times
Chu Mu stood beside the wardrobe for a moment, then grabbed a few more clothes. He wasn't sure if he could find her, but he was prepared for a long wait.
It just so happened that Sui Qing came to visit him at his studio apartment, carrying a large pile of semi-finished products from the supermarket. She stood at the door, changing her shoes and giving him instructions.
“The day after tomorrow is the 30th, and you haven’t cooked for yourself every day. These are dumplings I made for you at home. I’ll freeze them and cook them when you’re hungry. I also need to take them to your sister later. Neither of you gives me any peace of mind…” After putting the things down in the kitchen, Sui Qing looked up and saw her son’s packed luggage, and she was a little stunned.
"Are you... going on a business trip?"
Chu Mu grabbed the coat from the sofa and hurriedly put it on. "No, it's a personal matter."
Seeing Chu Mu about to leave with his luggage, Sui Qing became anxious. "What personal matter does he have to do during the New Year? Son, don't scare your mother, has something happened?"
Sui Qing nervously grabbed Chu Mu's sleeve as if afraid he would run away, and began to nag again. "Look at you, ever since you got divorced you've moved here, and no matter how much I try to persuade you, you won't go home. You don't even know what it's like to be alone, and you have to choose this time to leave... Chu Mu, tell your mother the truth, are you still upset about Yi An?" Sui Qing became more and more agitated as she spoke, and by the end her voice was trembling.
Chu Mu recalled how Chu Weiyuan had come to him a while ago to talk about Sui Qing's menopause. At first, he thought Chu Weiyuan was just making things up after losing an argument, but now it seemed that it was probably true. With a slight smile, Chu Mu pulled his sleeve away from Sui Qing's hand and put his arm around Sui Qing's shoulder reassuringly.
"Mom, I've found Yi'an."
Sui Qing was a little taken aback, "Found it? There's been no news for almost a year..."
Thinking of the phone call last night, Chu Mu felt he didn't want to waste a single minute. He grabbed the car keys hanging in the entryway, gave a very simple reply, and opened the door to leave.
"You should go home early; I won't be going home for Chinese New Year this year."
Looking at the closed door, Sui Qing patted her chest and slowly digested the news. The joy between her brows was obvious. Her daughter-in-law... had been found? At first, she was worried that Chu Mu would suffer some kind of illness because of this. She had mentioned it to Chu's father in private. At that time, Chu's father was calmly practicing calligraphy in his study, looking very composed.
"What could be wrong with him? He's been used to everything going smoothly since he was little, and he just hasn't recovered from this big incident. It's good that he learned his lesson so he won't make the same mistake again."
Sui Qing stared worriedly at the rice paper slowly spreading with ink, glaring at Chu's father. "He didn't even glance at those girls I introduced him to. I'm afraid your son will lose this path in the future..." Just when Sui Qing was worried that Chu Mu might remain single for life, he actually told her that he had found a daughter-in-law?!
Parents' hearts are always full of love and worry. On the way back, Sui Qing kept thinking in the car that if she could really bring him back, the New Year would be perfect even if her son wasn't home.
Chu Mu got into the car but didn't go to the airport. Instead, he drove straight to Qi Teng Building, where Shu Yi'an used to work. He thought that finding Julie was the most direct way to find Shu Yi'an.
She didn't know many people in this city, and had even fewer friends. Apart from white-collar workers like Su Ying, the only person who could quietly send someone away under Chu Mu's nose was probably her boss, Yan Qiyue.