Chapter 37

Chen Xi found Zhou Yanzhou incomprehensible. She pursed her lips, leaned back into her chair, and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Zhou Yanzhou sensed her small gesture, lifted his eyelids briefly, but remained silent.

The two ate breakfast in quietude. Once finished, Zhou Yanzhou pulled a tissue to wipe his fingers, eyeing the young woman across from him, and said unhurriedly, "Pack up. We’re heading down the mountain."

Chen Xi glanced at him in surprise. Wasn't he in a foul mood?

Zhou Yanzhou pretended not to see the deep skepticism in Chen Xi’s eyes. He discarded the tissue, picked up his phone, stood up, and asked the dazed girl, "Are we going or not?"

Chen Xi stood up with a start and nodded obediently. "Going."

Zhou Yanzhou was amused by her dazed appearance, his morning crankiness dissipating instantly. He tilted his chin, his tone still listless: "Heading back tomorrow?"

Chen Xi let out an "ah," paused for half a second, then gave a dull, "Mm."

As a guest passed by, Zhou Yanzhou pulled Chen Xi aside to prevent them from colliding. By the time she regained her senses, he had already let go. He returned to his usual carefree, calm demeanor, acting as if nothing mattered.

Chen Xi’s right wrist felt slightly warm. She looked down and saw that the spot where Zhou Yanzhou had held her was already red.

Zhou Yanzhou didn't notice this. He walked ahead, saying, "I'll have Chen Huai take you to the airport tomorrow."

Chen Xi frowned, conflicted. "Is that necessary? I’ve already made plans with He Xu—"

Before she could finish, Zhou Yanzhou stopped in his tracks. He turned back and stared at her in silence for a moment. His voice, sharp and laced with a hint of chill, cut her off: "Can you not mention other men's names?"

"Are you trying to ruin my morning?"

Chen Xi: "..."

Wasn't he the one who asked first? How bizarre.

Before leaving the mountain, the hotel manager presented Zhou Yanzhou with a small gift, claiming it was a local specialty of the resort. Zhou Yanzhou took the box and tossed it into the backseat, not giving it a second thought.

Chen Xi, however, took a few curious glances. It looked like a set of toiletries. The box was dark green, wrapped in deep green ribbons, with a string of English letters in the center of the cover that Chen Xi couldn't decipher.

Noticing her staring, Zhou Yanzhou got into the car, leaned over, and retrieved the box, shoving it into her arms. "Take it and use it."

Caught off guard, Chen Xi clutched the gift. The sharp edges of the box dug into her fingers, causing a faint sting. She tried to interpret his motives, but seeing him put on his sunglasses, fasten his seatbelt, and start the engine with an impassive expression, his actions seemed purely offhand, devoid of any hidden meaning.

Chen Xi swallowed her questions and quietly tucked the gift into the space between the car door and herself.

Zhou Yanzhou had been keeping tabs on her movements. Seeing her handle the hotel gift as if trying to avoid it, he raised an eyebrow and explained in a flat, indifferent tone, "The hotel gives these out every time I stay. I’m sick of them."

"But their toiletries are quite good. Take them back and try them; if you like them, I'll mail you more."

Zhou Yanzhou was mindful of her pride and said nothing untoward.

Chen Xi only fixated on the last word he said: "Mail."

Was he not planning to return to Xiping?

She suddenly recalled her uncle's warning and realized that Beijing was where Zhou Yanzhou belonged. They were not from the same world; they could never truly walk the same path.

Unable to suppress the emotions welling up inside, Chen Xi bit her lip and asked tentatively, "Are you not going back to Xiping?"

Zhou Yanzhou glanced back at Chen Xi in the passenger seat. Seeing her tense face and eyes filled with a nervousness she wasn't even aware of, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He decided to tease her: "Do you want me to go back?"

Chen Xi: "..."

She did, but what good would that do?

Seeing her head bowed in silence, he realized that if he kept teasing her, she might start crying again. He seriously considered the question. The sailing project had already begun; the construction team could handle the rest, and he didn't need to hover. As for returning to Xiping, he hadn't given it much thought.

Jiang Chi had exaggerated the old man's illness to lure him back to Beijing, but in reality, it was just a minor cold that required a two-day stay at most. His father was currently abroad on an inspection tour and nowhere near Beijing. Teacher Meng was busy rehearsing a new play at the theater—how would she have the time to bother him? Zhou Yanzhou hadn't truly intended to return to Xiping; there was nothing there for him anyway. Why go back?

But now, hearing Chen Xi’s soft inquiry, he suddenly couldn't find a reason not to.

A restlessness stirred within him. Mindful of the person in the car, he didn't light a cigarette, instead running a hand through the hair he had carefully styled that morning. His tone was inexplicably casual: "I’ll go, of course, but it’ll have to wait a while."

Chen Xi hung on every word, noting he said "go," not "go back." She bit her lip again. He must have been bored there for a long time, she figured. Compared to Beijing, Xiping had no chance of winning. If it were her, she wouldn't want to go back either. But she was from Xiping; her roots were there, and she couldn't escape them.

Zhou Yanzhou didn't give a specific timeline, and Chen Xi didn't ask again.

For the rest of the ride, Chen Xi curled up in her seat, her head resting against the leather backrest, gazing aimlessly at the scenery flashing past the window.

Late August in Beijing showed signs of the summer coming to an end. It had been scorching in the morning, but now the sun was obscured by dark clouds, threatening a thunderstorm. Chen Xi prayed it wouldn't rain; she wanted to spend her last day exploring more of Beijing.

Unfortunately, the heavens did not heed her prayers. Just as the car entered the city, a clap of thunder erupted without warning. Within two minutes, the sky was thick with black clouds that seemed ready to crush everything beneath them.

Startled by the thunder, it took a moment for Chen Xi to recover. She blinked, looking at the scene in disbelief. As soon as the car hit the Third Ring Road, it was gridlocked. Thousands of cars were packed together, leaving no room to breathe.

Chen Xi was stuck in the middle of it. She watched the dark clouds pressing down and then the Maybach trapped in the sea of cars, sensing the rain was imminent.

Zhou Yanzhou, however, remained calm and even found time for a smoke. Seeing that they wouldn't be moving anytime soon, he decisively unbuckled his seatbelt, grabbed his lighter and cigarette case from the center console, and got out of the car.

Chen Xi watched his graceful back and silently pursed her lips.

Before Zhou Yanzhou could finish his cigarette, several flashes of lightning and claps of thunder struck in quick succession, intensifying the already stifling atmosphere. Chen Xi was terrified; she instinctively hunched her shoulders, wishing she could hide under the floorboards of the car.

Zhou Yanzhou saw this when he turned back. He stubbed out his cigarette, waved his hand to clear the scent of smoke, and ducked back into the car.

Seeing him climb back in, Chen Xi’s turbulent heart finally found a place to rest. She blinked, her voice betraying a tremor she hadn't noticed herself: "It’s going to rain."

Zhou Yanzhou gave a flat "Mm." Staring at her pale face, he suddenly asked, "Are you afraid?"

Another bolt of thunder crashed down, so close it felt like it struck the roof of the car. Chen Xi flinched, missing his words. She gripped her palms and looked up at him. "What did you say?"

With a single glance, Zhou Yanzhou saw the fear she couldn't hide. He had warned himself not to give her too much hope or be too kind to her, otherwise, it would only lead to trouble. But at this moment, he cast all those warnings aside.

As another thunderclap rolled, Zhou Yanzhou caught her trembling hand and whispered, "Don't be afraid."

The thunder was deafening. Chen Xi only saw his lips move but didn't catch the words.

Finally, the thunder stopped, and rain as large as fists began to pelt the roof. The world seemed swallowed by the sound of rain, leaving nothing else to be heard. Soon, a curtain of rain covered the windows, blurring their vision.

Perhaps it was the frustration of waiting, or perhaps they too were frightened by the storm, but many drivers began honking their horns impatiently, as if they could resolve the gridlock through noise. It was, of course, futile.

Seeing the water cover the road and cascade beneath the car, Zhou Yanzhou switched on the wipers with his left hand. The rain was so heavy that even the wipers struggled to keep the glass clear.

In the midst of such harsh weather, Chen Xi suddenly felt a sense of calm. Her hand was still held by Zhou Yanzhou. His palm was dry, warm, and large enough to completely envelop hers.

For a fleeting moment, Chen Xi hoped the rain would never stop. Though they were trapped on the Third Ring elevated bridge by a thunderstorm, this was the happiest moment Chen Xi had ever known.

Because in this instant, they were no longer two people with a strange, fragile connection; they were just fellow travelers waiting for the rain to cease. At the very least, for a moment, they had shared the same purpose.

The downpour lasted only half an hour, but it created a massive workload for the traffic police, and the already congested roads became even more clogged.

After the rain, the sky was swept clean, looking as if it had been soaked in water. Droplets still clung to the greenery, and the air was filled with the damp scent of grass.

A cool breeze blew in. As Chen Xi opened the window, she couldn't help but sneeze. She blinked, thinking to herself that summer was almost over.

Back at the hotel, fearing she might catch a cold, Zhou Yanzhou urged her to take a hot shower. Unable to resist him, Chen Xi grabbed her pajamas and retreated to the bathroom.

When she came out, Zhou Yanzhou was gone.

Chen Xi stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, drying her hair with a pink towel. She looked out at Chang'an Avenue, the China World Trade Center, and the towering skyscrapers in the distance, suddenly realizing that she didn't belong here.

Zhou Yanzhou had received a last-minute call. Teacher Meng had finished her rehearsals and finally remembered that her son had returned to the capital. Realizing he had been back for a week without checking in, she had ordered him to return home.

With no other choice, Zhou Yanzhou promised over the phone that he would be there immediately. Thinking it wouldn't take more than the time for a meal, he hung up, glanced toward the master bedroom, sighed, grabbed his car keys from the coffee table, and left.

Chen Xi wasn't worried when she didn't find him. She had been staying in the suite for nearly a week and hadn't used any of the electronics. On a whim, she followed the manual, turned on the sound system, and began packing her luggage slowly while listening to music.

Once her luggage was packed, He Xu sent a text asking if she wanted to visit the Summer Palace together.

The sky had cleared after the rain. Seeing there was still time, Chen Xi readily agreed.

Before leaving, she grabbed her luggage. Closing the door, Chen Xi took a deep breath, pulled out her phone, and sent a text to Zhou Yanzhou: "I'm leaving."