Gloves - Chapter 25

“Mmm~ Ah~ So good~ Faster and harder~ Ahh~”

The room was filled with languid moans. Even through the door, Nian Zichun could hear the man’s heavy breathing and the sound of skin slapping against each other. To avoid witnessing the most indecent scene inside, Nian Zichun knocked on the door to give the people inside some warning.

Inside, they were completely absorbed in their passion, oblivious to any external sounds. Nian Zichun knocked a bit harder, and as expected, there was suddenly silence from within. Then came the woman’s complaining voice and a flurry of rustling sounds.

Nian Zichun waited quietly as a disheveled man, wearing only his boxer briefs, opened the door. A gust of cold wind blew into the narrow hallway, causing the man to shiver. When his eyes met Nian Zichun’s, they filled with fear and a touch of numbness. His lips twitched, his hand gripping the doorknob froze in place, and his other hand trembled as it clenched into a fist. Barefooted, every hair on his body stood on end.

“W-w-wife… I…” Hu Xinghua’s mouth moved, but no sound came out. His mind went blank, not even considering why Nian Zichun would be here. He prepared himself to face Nian Zichun’s disgust, mockery, and even the possibility of her slapping him across the face.

Inside the room, the woman sat silently under the heater, with sweat-soaked hair sticking to her face, wearing a face full of reproach.

But Nian Zichun didn’t show any of the reactions that Hu Xinghua had anticipated. She gently lifted her foot and took a step into the room. Even if the air in this house disgusted her, she had to come in and see who the woman was that had made her husband even more exhausted than before.

“Husband, you’ll catch a cold being undressed like this,” Nian Zichun bent down and picked up a pair of slippers from the floor, placing them in front of Hu Xinghua for him to put on. Then she took clothes from the chair, one piece at a time, dressing him from the inside out, without ever glancing at the woman behind him.

Hu Xinghua had initially planned to confront her head-on, but as Nian Zichun tenderly layered warmth upon him, all those thoughts vanished from his mind. They disappeared without a trace.

“You work so hard every day, and yet you come to places like this,” Nian Zichun caressed Hu Xinghua’s face, her eyes filled with care and genuine concern.

Hu Xinghua couldn’t utter a word. Regret consumed him, and in the end, his eyes turned red.

“What are you doing?!” The woman behind them disregarded any semblance of dignity and grabbed a pillow, throwing it towards Hu Xinghua. With a muffled thud, Hu Xinghua’s waist subtly moved forward.

“My husband is quite capable in that regard. I’ve never had the heart to throw things at him,” Nian Zichun said as she continued to button Hu Xinghua’s shirt, still not lifting her gaze to look at the woman.

“Husband, let’s go home, okay?” Nian Zichun raised her hand to tidy Hu Xinghua’s hair, patting off the dust from his shoulders, and held onto his hand.

“Okay,” Hu Xinghua said, uttering only that one word. He resembled a child who had done something wrong.

“Hu Xinghua! What do you mean? Come back! Come back!” The woman shouted and then began to cry.

Hu Xinghua didn’t even turn his head. His thoughts were solely focused on his wife now.

As they reached the doorway, Nian Zichun finally glanced back at the disheveled woman. Both being women, she couldn’t comprehend how this woman lacked self-respect and basic etiquette of dressing appropriately when facing others. Nian Zichun could only shake her head helplessly.

Once the door closed, Nian Zichun immediately let go of Hu Xinghua’s hand and walked briskly ahead.

“Wife,” Hu Xinghua rushed forward and tried to grab her hand.

“Don’t touch me! You’re filthy,” Nian Zichun transformed into a different person. But Hu Xinghua understood more than anyone else. Nian Zichun was a caring and intelligent woman who knew how to uphold her dignity and save face in public. So, no matter how much Nian Zichun expressed her anger, Hu Xinghua willingly accepted it all.

The neon lights on the street flickered, and crowds of people indulged in a life of excess and decadence, just like that woman from earlier. She was undoubtedly after Hu Xinghua’s money. Nian Zichun felt a mix of heartache and anger. They didn’t exchange a word throughout the journey back home. It wasn’t until Hu Xinghua finished showering that Nian Zichun calmly said:

“Hu Xinghua, let’s get a divorce.”

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“She really knows how to evoke one’s protective instincts,” Qi Ruan observed An Chujie’s peaceful sleeping face, speaking to herself. An Chujie’s eyelashes weren’t particularly thick, but they were soft and long.

“Do you dare to touch her and find out?” Shang Zhuoxi deliberately lowered her voice, but it was still audible enough for Qi Ruan to hear. The woman with short hair paused her hand above the sleeping person’s face.

“Not only will I touch her, but I will also do many things that President Shang can’t even imagine,” Qi Ruan retracted her hand, shifting her gaze back to An Chujie’s bandaged foot.

“Wait until her leg heals,” Qi Ruan stood up and walked towards Shang Zhuoxi. “Then she will willingly come running to me. I’m in no hurry at all.”

“That’s not your style, Director Qi,” Shang Zhuoxi glanced at Qi Ruan and then back at An Chujie.

“It seems that people are exactly what they appear to be. Why do both of you insist on calling me Director Qi? It sounds so unfamiliar,” Qi Ruan leaned in closer, sniffing:

“Mmm, now I can clearly smell it. You two are indeed wearing the same perfume. I absolutely adore the scent of that perfume on you. I wonder if President Shang also makes it hard for her patients to resist when she treats them,” Qi Ruan said as she reached out to touch the person across from her. Shang Zhuoxi waved her hand and pushed her away.

“Please show some restraint!” Shang Zhuoxi maintained her forward gaze, her slightly pointed chin unmoving, her thin lips closed tightly. Her high nose and eyebrows gave her face a particularly three-dimensional appearance. Plus, her blue eyes, something unique to Easterners, occasionally emitted a cold gleam, making her seem unapproachable.

Qi Ruan carefully examined Shang Zhuoxi’s facial features, a face that was filled with disdain for her.

“I just love seeing you like this. You look so attractive when you’re angry,” Qi Ruan grinned like a rascal.

The person on the bed stirred, and An Chujie opened her eyes, unsure if she was awakened by the commotion or simply because she had slept enough. It was already dark outside.

“Zhuoxi?” An Chujie looked at the two people standing at the door. Besides a black silhouette, she could only make out Shang Zhuoxi’s cold profile illuminated by the hallway lights.

“Chujie, awake now?” Shang Zhuoxi turned her head and put on a different expression, revealing a smile. She walked past the person next to her and approached the bed, asking with concern if An Chujie’s foot was hurting badly.

Shang Zhuoxi sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at An Chujie nestled in her arms. Her soft golden hair cascaded in front of her, brushing against the face of the person in her embrace. Qi Ruan had never seen Shang Zhuoxi so gentle before, and An Chujie’s eyes were filled with reliance and trust.

“Chujie, once you’re better, I’ll take you to fun places. I have much more time than she does,” Qi Ruan said to An Chujie, giving Shang Zhuoxi a white glance. An Chujie neither agreed nor refused, just smiled back at her. Qi Ruan couldn’t discern her true emotions. Perhaps if Shang Zhuoxi wasn’t around, An Chujie would accept her offer?

“Alright, if you don’t have anything else, I’ll take my leave.”

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“…Zhuoxi, who is she to you?” Xu Yuer was still angry about what happened that day. She was straddling Shang Zhuoxi’s lap, her voice sweet and childish as she interrogated her.

“Is she your sister? How come I’ve never heard you mention her before?” It was possible for siblings to be good-looking too, and Xu Yuer pouted as she pinched Shang Zhuoxi’s straight nose. Shang Zhuoxi shook her head, unchanged.

“Oh, who is this? You even kissed her, and you’ve never kissed me before.” Xu Yuer’s soft hand lightly tugged at Shang Zhuoxi’s ear, as she rubbed her nose against hers.

“Ah! Could it be?!” Xu Yuer’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Your girlfriend?” The phrase “girlfriend” entered An Chujie’s ears like a sensitive word.

In the afternoon, Tu Yi accompanied her for a walk around the hospital. Her left foot was now able to exert some strength, and the piercing pain was gone.

She tried putting her left foot fully on the ground and walked from the gastroenterology department across the hall. Clearly, it was possible now. She wanted to tell Shang Zhuoxi that she could walk normally. But as she approached the door of the doctor’s office, she heard Xu Yuer’s voice from inside. An Chujie stopped in her tracks, and her heart rate began to accelerate.

“Oh, Zhuoxi, you’re not saying anything. I knew it!” Xu Yuer shook Shang Zhuoxi’s shoulders, almost on the verge of tears.

“Yu’er, can you please get off me first?” Shang Zhuoxi’s face was filled with helplessness. Although Xu Yuer’s weight was within the normal range, she was much heavier than An Chujie. Besides, Xu Yuer had been on top of her for almost twenty minutes now.

“I won’t! Tell me quickly, is that girl named An your girlfriend or not? Tell me!” This question simultaneously affected the nerves of all three people. Shang Zhuoxi stared at Xu Yuer’s flushed face, hesitated for a moment, and earnestly told her:

“No, she’s not.”

Upon hearing the answer she wanted, Xu Yuer happily pecked Shang Zhuoxi’s face. Her worries dissipated, and Shang Zhuoxi also got rid of a big trouble. But outside the door, someone’s heartbeat skipped a beat, followed by a wave of bitterness and coldness that spread from within.

After a moment, Shang Zhuoxi walked out.

“Chujie? When did you arrive?” Shang Zhuoxi wondered if she had missed hearing those words just now.

An Chujie quickly turned around and headed downstairs when she saw her. In the past, Shang Zhuoxi could easily catch up to her with longer strides, but luckily, her foot seemed to be fine now.

An Chujie, with red eyes, had just reached the stairwell when she saw Shang Zhuoxi waiting there with lightning speed.

For the moment, An Chujie didn’t want to see that person. She wanted to have her all to herself, but she wouldn’t allow herself to have the same in return.

“Where did you come from?” It wasn’t a question, but a small complaint. An Chujie stood on the stairs, rare to have a perspective where she could look down on Shang Zhuoxi.

“The whole hospital is mine, so of course I know where the shortcuts are!” Shang Zhuoxi proudly pointed to the elevator next to them and laughed at An Chujie being caught.

“Come down,” Shang Zhuoxi said, looking at An Chujie. The registration hall was empty at night, and even their voices echoed in the spacious lobby. An Chujie had originally wanted to go back upstairs, but upon hearing Shang Zhuoxi’s command, she stayed in place.

“Let me say it again, come down,” Shang Zhuoxi wanted to see how she could walk steadily. The hopeful look in her eyes made it irresistible for An Chujie. She had no choice but to go downstairs, step by step towards Shang Zhuoxi. Her gaze shifted from looking down to looking up, and when she reached her, her left leg suddenly weakened, and she fell into Shang Zhuoxi’s arms.

“Now you can’t run away. Your leg is fine now, so don’t be in a hurry to wander around, you know?” Shang Zhuoxi held An Chujie, caressing the back of her head, and softly said with her chin resting on top of her head.

“You’re mine. Even if you want to run, you can’t escape. What are you going to do?” And just like that, she was once again captivated by Shang Zhuoxi’s tenderness. An Chujie no longer agonized over whether or not she was her girlfriend.