Gloves - Chapter 20

Shang Zhuoxi took An Chujie’s keys with her when she left, leaving her with nowhere to go. An Chujie’s phone kept ringing incessantly, but she couldn’t move. The piercing pain made her break out in cold sweat. After a few hours, the pain subsided slightly, and she slowly crawled off the floor, struggling to reach the living room to retrieve her phone. As she reached out to grab the coffee table, her legs trembled and gave way, causing her to fall to the ground. Dozens of missed calls, all from Yi Heng, and two from Qi Ruan. As she looked at the screen, her vision blurred, and she nearly passed out again. She sent a text message to Yi Heng, telling him not to come looking for her because she was not home.

As she was composing the message, there was an urgent knocking on the door.

“Chujie, are you there? Chujie?…”

Upon hearing Yi Heng’s voice, An Chujie’s hand holding the phone trembled. She covered her mouth, trying to suppress the sound of her crying. Her chest felt tight, and after sending the message, the outside fell silent. She listened to the sound of forlorn footsteps growing distant. An Chujie let go and burst into tears. She felt sorry for Yi Heng and hated herself for deceiving and hurting him. She understood better than anyone the anguish of shattered expectations, the feeling of being powerless and unwanted. But she couldn’t find a way to comfort Yi Heng’s wounded heart.

From the moment she fell in love with Shang Zhuoxi, she had recklessly squandered her deepest and most genuine emotions, leaping headfirst into a vast, bottomless abyss. She couldn’t melt the icy walls that surrounded her and instead found herself trapped inside, unable to escape. Many hands reached out toward the abyss, but she had fallen too deep, unable to reach those hands. An Chujie’s spirit had been gradually worn away by Shang Zhuoxi, and she had long lost the capacity to love.

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“Meowjie is back and she said she’ll treat us to lunch at noon…” After hanging up the phone, Yang Yiluo’s mind went blank, mouth wide open.

“Ah! That pushover woman is back?” Tu Yi couldn’t hide his excitement on his face, no matter how much powder he applied.

“Mhmm, that means…” Yang Yiluo stood up, hands gripping his collar, eyebrows raised in excitement.

“We’re going to be… S-P-O-I-L-E-D!” The two people who knew nothing about restraint exclaimed in unison, their voices filled with joy. In the next moment, they each went to prepare themselves.

P.S. Meowjie is called Meowjie because of her name. Her name is Qi Ruan, which sounds like “fears the strong and bullies the weak.” In the eyes of Yang Yiluo and Tu Yi, no animal is better at bullying the weak and fearing the strong than a cat. Coincidentally, she also looks like a clever cat, so they gave her this nickname the first time they met Qi Ruan.

“Why did Meowjie come back? Did she take away a bunch of beauties?” Tu Yi suddenly thought of this serious question. At least the people he knew in this city were quite attractive to him.

“She’s here to pick up her mom from the company. Oh, this pair of pants looks good, or should I wear this skirt?” Yang Yiluo had one leg in a pair of pants and the other with a skirt, switching back and forth.

“Tsk, Xiaoluoluo, no swearing allowed,” Tu Yi said, disapprovingly, while fixing his hair.

“Tsk! It’s her mother’s company, thank you.”

“Well, reluctantly, I’ll tell you, the skirt looks better~”

……

“Beep beep!” The crisp and deep sound of the horn reached the antennas of the two people.

“They’re here!”

Qi Ruan sat in the car, watching as the two people walked out of the door one after another, and her trigeminal neuralgia kicked in.

“Do you guys really have to go all out?!” The two people who came out were almost missing the lights and stage effects.

Tu Yi walked around the massive Land Rover, feeling bitter and heartbroken.

“Hey, rich people change cars like they change women. The boss plays with one until it’s worn out, gives the second to someone else when he’s bored, the mistress gets a luxury car for less than a year, and the fourth mistress gets a Land Rover delivered to her doorstep.”

“It’s been a year since I saw you, and you still know how to rhyme. If you don’t get in the car now, we’re leaving.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Yang Yiluo, when did you get in the car?! I want to sit in the passenger seat!”

….

“Ruan, why didn’t you bring anyone with you this time?” Qi Ruan used to always have different women around her, and occasionally a couple of handsome guys.

“Yeah, Meowjie, you used to always bring me a man or two. This time you didn’t even bring a girlfriend.”

The two of them echoed each other, holding pens and wickedly marking an “x2” behind the exorbitant price of the Weimatafu that they used to only dare to admire but not touch. They exchanged a glance with a knowing smile, the implicit message being: Hang out with Miss Moneybags, no worries about food and drink.

Qi Ruan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, thinking about An Chujie.

“Sorry, miss, smoking is not allowed here. Please put it out.” A young server immediately approached and made the request. Qi Ruan lazily raised her eyelids and blew out the smoke she had just inhaled onto the girl’s face, causing her to cough uncontrollably. Qi Ruan examined her up and down, noting that she had a good figure and was probably still in college.

“Do you have any rules here about whether waitresses can go outside?” Qi Ruan used the wrist holding the cigarette to brush against the girl’s uniform skirt.

“Pervert!” The girl was frightened and quickly left their table. Qi Ruan put out her cigarette and the three of them burst into laughter.

“Bring someone? Can’t handle it.” Qi Ruan waved her hand helplessly. Although she had been rejected by the girl as well, she could usually coax and deceive her way into getting what she wanted. But this time, she wasn’t sure about this one.

“Oh, how heavy is she?” Yang Yiluo was curious.

“Heavy?” Qi Ruan laughed and shook her head. “She doesn’t have much flesh on her at all. She also has trouble with her legs. I called her today, but she didn’t answer.” Qi Ruan shrugged. “Oh, I heard you started working at the hospital. Are you becoming a doctor?”

“Oh, not a doctor, huh? I’m a nurse! If I were a doctor, I would have been successful by now. I still have to go to work this afternoon!” Tu Yi said with frustration.

“Oh, really? The girl said she likes doctors, but that…”

“Wait a minute. She doesn’t have much flesh on her, has trouble with her legs, and likes doctors??” After going through a series of deletions and filtering, a clear image of a pitiful girl emerged.

“What? Why?” Qi Ruan was curious about Tu Yi’s reaction.

“Is her name An Chujie?”

“That’s right. Do you know her?” Qi Ruan even felt a bit excited, wondering if An Chujie could become part of her circle of friends.

“I know her! But Meowjie, this time, listen to me and don’t pursue her, okay?” Tu Yi looked embarrassed, and Yang Yiluo nodded with a strange expression.

“Why not?”

“Because…”

…..

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After finishing work, Shang Zhuoxi took some medicine and medical cotton and headed towards An Chujie’s house.

The shoes at the entrance were still in the same position as when she left in the morning, which made Shang Zhuoxi feel triumphant. Indeed, she hadn’t been able to leave the house.

The innocent blanket lay on the floor, and the bedsheet showed signs of being pulled and tugged. Curled up at the corner of the bed was a frail body, thin arms wrapped around legs, folding the body inward. Everything An Chujie heard and smelled told her that Shang Zhuoxi had arrived.

“You have menstrual cramps again. You’re not supposed to engage in ‘intense activities’ before your period,” Shang Zhuoxi approached and gently touched An Chujie, but she reflexively sat up, still hugging her legs and shrinking back, her eyes fixed on her toes, trembling at the corners of her lips.

Shang Zhuoxi wanted to touch her face, but An Chujie immediately turned her head to the side. Shang Zhuoxi’s hand hovered in the air for a moment before she decided to ignore her mood.

She took a pair of rubber gloves out of her pocket, put them on, and then applied the medicine on the medical cotton, preparing to treat her. But An Chujie tightly closed her legs, refusing to let her separate them.

“Don’t touch me!” An Chujie resisted, curling up into a ball.

“You have a little injury inside. If we don’t treat it, it might get infected,” Shang Zhuoxi knew that she had been a bit too forceful last night, and she might have accidentally scraped her.

“Don’t you just want me to die?” An Chujie said coldly, without even looking at Shang Zhuoxi, her heart filled with pain.

Shang Zhuoxi never cared about An Chujie’s resistance and once again tried to open her legs.

“Get away from me!” An Chujie cried out, tears streaming down her face. “Why do you come to care if I’m in pain after leaving me with bruises all over my body?” Her thin shoulders trembled.

“Be a good girl and let me take a look. It won’t hurt as much after applying the medicine.”

“Don’t, just go away,” Shang Zhuoxi was not a patient person to begin with. After a long day at work, she had kindly come to check on An Chujie, not to be faced with her attitude.

“I’ll count to three, and if you’re still like this, I’ll leave,” Shang Zhuoxi’s voice no longer held its gentleness. “One,” no response. “Two,” An Chujie turned her face away once again.

Before even reaching three, Shang Zhuoxi didn’t bother to finish counting. She simply dropped the medicine and cotton she was holding, turned around, and walked away. The glass jar on the table shook a few times before settling down. Suddenly, An Chujie looked up, realizing there was no one beside her. Ignoring the pain, she ran barefoot to the doorway of the room, watching Shang Zhuoxi’s blurry figure. Tears burst out of her eyes:

“I told you to leave, so why did you really leave? Shang Zhuoxi, why can you come and go as you please, trampling all over my heart?!” Shang Zhuoxi walked towards the door, hearing the trembling voice behind her. An Chujie cried and said:

“Have you ever truly cared about me? Will you ever care if I’m in pain? No, you won’t. Since that’s the case, why don’t you let me suffer and die on my own? You’re just using me as a toy, a broken toy that you won’t fix and can’t play with anymore. Even if you’re slightly kind to me, I would think that you don’t dislike me that much. Why can you control all my feelings so effortlessly? It’s not fair at all, not fair…” An Chujie sobbed, her voice torn apart as if by something. With a thick nasal tone, she continued to choke out her words:

“Shang Zhuoxi, I truly hate you. You’re the most selfish person in the whole world!” An Chujie’s eyes burned with hot tears, cascading down and creating small puddles on the ground, their sound echoing in the room. She wanted to express all her grievances before Shang Zhuoxi walked out that door.

Shang Zhuoxi had initially stopped in her tracks, but upon hearing An Chujie call her selfish, she decisively lifted her head and walked towards the door. Just as she was about to open it and leave, An Chujie suddenly regretted her actions. She endured the pain and ran towards the door, tightly wrapping her arms around Shang Zhuoxi’s body. She couldn’t speak through her tears, struggling to breathe, her words interrupted and incomplete:

“Don’t go, Zhuoxi, I’m sorry, I feel so… miserable. I hope you can stay with me. I’m not pretending or acting. I’m not being good to you because I feel indebted, but because I want to. Why don’t you understand?” An Chujie’s fingers, intertwined around Shang Zhuoxi’s waist, had turned pale. Shang Zhuoxi could clearly feel the trembling and uneven breath of the person behind her.

“Besides you, I would never fall in love with anyone else. Yi Heng is just my friend. Why can’t you believe me?” An Chujie’s hair clung to her tear-streaked face, disregarding her appearance. This was her most painful moment. She needed someone to accompany her, and she only wanted Shang Zhuoxi to be there. She could be angry with herself and stay silent, but as long as Shang Zhuoxi was present, it would be enough.

“Zhuoxi, please don’t go. I know you had a tiring day at work. I should have been understanding and not provoked you to anger,” the grip around her tightened, and An Chujie exerted all her strength. Shang Zhuoxi’s mind was in chaos. She didn’t know whether or not she should believe An Chujie.

Turning around, Shang Zhuoxi lowered her head and looked at the tear-stained face. Her black pupils trembled, reflecting only her own image.

“My parents don’t want me anymore. Do you not want me either?” An Chujie looked at Shang Zhuoxi helplessly, her eyes resembling a deep, silent pool, waiting for the person before her to create ripples of life upon its surface. The pain in her lower abdomen intensified, and her grip on Shang Zhuoxi weakened. Weakened and exhausted, An Chujie suddenly collapsed at Shang Zhuoxi’s feet.