Gloves - Chapter 23

The cold street was sparsely populated with a few hurried passersby, their figures rushing as if they were unwilling to linger in the strong wind even for a second.

“Yi Heng…” An Chujie lowered her head, looking apologetic.

“Mmm? What’s wrong?” Yi Heng exhaled a puff of white breath, turning his head to look at her.

An Chujie could feel the intense gaze he cast upon her. She fell silent, and he dared not ask further. He was afraid to hear the truth he dreaded. He wanted to give her so much, to bring her home for the Lunar New Year, and even to marry her and love her for the rest of his life as her husband. At this moment, it would be best if An Chujie remained silent. Perhaps, if she were to speak, that beautiful blueprint would become distorted and grim.

“Yi Heng, we are friends,” she finally spoke, anxiously tucking her hair behind her ear.

“I know, but if you’re willing, we can become more than just friends,” Yi Heng’s heart raced. After saying it, he regretted it immediately. He had pushed himself into a corner. Now he had no room for imagination, only waiting for her to say whether she wanted it or not.

“I believe… friends shouldn’t be like us,” there shouldn’t be those intimate gestures that could easily be misunderstood. Holding hands, hugging, kissing – for An Chujie, it had already gone too far. But for Yi Heng, it was not enough. He tried to treat An Chujie as his girlfriend, to demand those things from her. An Chujie turned her gaze away, unable to bring herself to say those words.

What does it mean to not be like this? Like what? Yi Heng took her cold hand once again, hoping to feel something genuine. But An Chujie gently shook his hand away.

“Is this also not acceptable?” With his hand empty, Yi Heng’s voice grew anxious.

An Chujie shook her head, took a deep breath, and finally raised her head. She looked at the Adam’s apple moving up and down in Yi Heng’s throat, feeling a pang of discomfort seeing his injured face.

“It’s okay, Chujie. I’ll take care of myself and give you some space. I can wait for you. Is that alright?” Yi Heng slowed down his tone, unable to bring himself to force her while looking at her face.

“This isn’t good, Yi Heng. I don’t want to do anything that would make her feel insecure, even when she’s not around,” An Chujie replayed in her mind every time Shang Zhuoxi got angry and hurt. And all those reasons that made her lose control seemed to be related to the man in front of her.

Yi Heng remained silent, his eyes red as he looked at An Chujie. A long period of silence followed, and under the gray sky, it felt as if everything had lost its color. The once yellow streets on both sides turned black and white, while An Chujie appeared in shades of gray. Only his heart was dripping with red liquid. In her words and in her heart, there was only that person. What a helpless reason it was.

“Haven’t we always been like this? When she’s not around, haven’t I taken good care of you? How important is she to you? Important enough to silently strip away someone else’s rights?” The man’s voice was hoarse with suppressed anger, but it was clear that he was furious. Veins bulged on his forehead, his hand clenched into a fist, turning crimson.

“What the fuck have I ever asked of you? An Chujie, you always fucking only see what you’ve done for her and think it’s never enough. What has she done for you? Have you ever turned around and looked at me? Have you seen how much I care and sacrifice for you? Why do you even want to cancel my right to take care of you?!” Yi Heng’s eyes burned, flames flickering within them. His hand trembled as he clenched his fist against his nose and lips. Two uncontrollable tears streamed down his face. This was the second time he cried so heartbreakingly, the first being the year of their graduation. But even then, it was for An Chujie.

The strong wind howled as if cheering for this man, fueling the fire of his anger and discontent in his heart. The occasional passing vehicles honked sharply, as if joining in on the spectacle.

“Yi Heng, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I have no intention of taking away any of your rights. We’re friends, and I can also take care of you. It’s just that I hope…” An Chujie reached out to wipe away his tears, but Yi Heng grabbed her wrist.

“Either you’re my woman, or I’ve never known you!” The spring in his heart finally snapped, and those words burst out. Yi Heng was tired too. If after all these years of chasing, there couldn’t be a resolution, then it’s better to end it now.

“Can’t we just be normal friends?” An Chujie covered her mouth with her other hand, tears shimmering in her eyes. How could he become so heartless and extreme?

“Friends? I’ve given up too much for you. I fucking waited for you for so long. Do you think I did all of that just to be a more ordinary friend than now?!” Yi Heng shook off her hand, took a step back, and with red eyes, he fiercely said, “I don’t fucking want this half-assed kind of love! An Chujie! I really wish I had never met you!”

The once passionate heart turned cold. Yi Heng gently pushed An Chujie away, shook his head, and walked past her without looking back.

The old bald tree shook its brittle branches vigorously. The strong wind seemed as if it wanted to knock An Chujie down. Yi Heng had truly “driven himself away.”

An Chujie tightly covered her nose and mouth, raised her head, and the tears didn’t flow backward but instead slid down to the sides rapidly. She even felt that she was the most selfish one, unable to stop sobbing.

“I don’t think you’re at fault,” a lazy and gentle voice came from behind and entered An Chujie’s ears. An Chujie immediately wiped her tears haphazardly and turned around to see a short-haired woman wearing a red coat, holding her arms against a lamppost not far away. Qi Ruan walked over on high heels and took out a tissue from her bag, handing it to An Chujie.

“When did you arrive?” An Chujie turned her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“You were so engrossed in your argument, it’s no wonder you didn’t notice me honking. If you want to cry, go ahead and cry. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I won’t laugh at you. Here, take it,” Qi Ruan reached out once again, offering the tissue.

“Seeing your tear-stained face makes me want to tease you even more, so if you’re afraid, wipe away your tears quickly,” An Chujie looked at Qi Ruan suspiciously. As her tears evaporated, taking away more warmth, she still accepted what was offered in that hand.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me in the future. I didn’t expect the competition to be quite intense. I have to deal with men as well. But you’ve helped me out by getting rid of one.,” Qi Ruan’s words were light, as if she was genuinely happy to have one less enemy. Hearing the person beside her gloating like that, An Chujie felt some anger and decided not to linger with her any longer. She walked straight to the intersection ahead, preparing to catch a ride home.

“Hey, don’t be mad. I’m speaking the truth. If he truly loves you, he wouldn’t force you to make such a cruel choice. Besides, cutting it off cleanly, causing him short-term pain rather than lingering agony, is actually quite kind of you,” Qi Ruan was someone who disliked trouble, and she knew how many girls’ hearts she had hurt in the past. Compared to herself, she felt that An Chujie was already quite merciful.

Qi Ruan reached out to grab An Chujie’s hand.

“Don’t touch me,” An Chujie shrugged her off. She didn’t need her approval or pity.

“What are you doing? Taking a ride home again? Let me drive you. Trust me, that President Shang will never come to pick you up,” Qi Ruan looked at her pale face and the redness around her eyes, feeling a pang of discomfort in her heart.

“No need, thank you,” An Chujie refused once again.

The sky had already darkened, and An Chujie checked the time. It was almost six o’clock, and Shang Zhuoxi would be getting off work soon. She had to hurry back and prepare dinner for him.

A taxi stopped in front of An Chujie, and she quickly got in, fearing that Qi Ruan would drag her into her own car even for a second longer.

To ensure that An Chujie, who had no means to defend herself, wouldn’t be deceived by the taxi driver, Qi Ruan followed the taxi all the way to An Chujie’s home. She only left after seeing her enter the house.

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“Mmm, it smells so good,” Shang Zhuoxi embraced An Chujie from behind while she was busy cooking.

“Ah!” An Chujie was startled. “Are you hungry? It’ll be ready in a little while.”

“I’m talking about you, not the food,” Shang Zhuoxi rested his chin on her shoulder, sensing something unusual in her voice.

“What’s wrong? Did you cry again?”

“No, I got choked by the oil. You should go outside, the fumes here are heavy, and it might affect you,” An Chujie worried that something might splatter on her from the pan.

After finishing the whole dinner, An Chujie managed to recover a little from her afternoon mood, but the sadness was still evident on her face.

Shang Zhuoxi leaned back on the sofa, browsing the internet. Suddenly, after An Chujie finished showering, she pounced on the sofa and snuggled into his arms like a little kitten. Shang Zhuoxi stroked her head, knowing that she was not in a good mood today. An Chujie suddenly burst into tears, soaking a large area of Shang Zhuoxi’s pajamas with her tears.

“What’s going on with you today? I just can’t understand you,” Shang Zhuoxi sat up, pushing her hair back. She turned An Chujie’s face towards her, but she stubbornly clung to her, her hands gripping her neck tightly, burying her face in her collar, crying and refusing to let her see.

Shang Zhuoxi really had no way to deal with her, so she just let her hang on to her and continued using the computer.

After some time, there was no movement in Shang Zhuoxi’s embrace. A little head softly leaned against her arm, and she had fallen asleep. An Chujie peacefully slept in her embrace.

Shang Zhuoxi’s gaze shifted from her soft hair to her partially relaxed eyebrows and eyes. An Chujie, who used to have an oval face, had become so thin that it was almost a heart-shaped face. Looking further down, her collarbone had become deeply indented, and the undulating groove was evidence of her full development over these four years.

Many people had once set their sights on An Chujie, but here she was, still lying in Shang Zhuoxi’s embrace. Shang Zhuoxi was also tired, and she didn’t have the energy to figure out what had happened to An Chujie today. She just needed to believe that the exceptional An Chujie belonged to her alone, and she felt a sense of accomplishment from that.