Gloves - Chapter 31

The black words seemed to float on the white paper, as Shang Zhuoxi, wearing her freshly washed clothes that still emitted a faint scent of soap, took a moment to process. She ripped the paper off, her fingers running through her hair in a disheveled manner, as if trying to grasp a clue. What did An Chujie mean? Was she no longer able to deceive her? Shang Zhuoxi dialed An Chujie’s number:

“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off. Sorry…”

No, An Chujie wouldn’t abandon her. She would come home after work today, waiting for her with a dinner ready. Shang Zhuoxi tried to calm herself down, proceeding with everything in an orderly manner – washing up, putting on makeup, having breakfast, and then driving to work.

It was only when she saw Xu Yuer’s blushing face that morning that she remembered something.

“Oh, Xu beauty seems to be in a good mood today.”

“Yeah, her skin looks amazing today, and…”

“……”

Xu Yuer smiled faintly as she passed by the people’s gossip, only she knew the indescribable happiness she felt.

“Zhuoxi… you’re here…” Xu Yuer lowered her head, her ears turning pink. This was the first time Shang Zhuoxi had seen her like this, resembling a sweet girl next door rather than the usual pouty and stubborn demeanor. But Shang Zhuoxi couldn’t find any joy in it. She blinked her hollow blue eyes and forced a smile, softly responding, “Hmm,” before entering the office to change clothes and prepare for work.

“Zhuoxi, how about we have dinner together after work today?” Xu Yuer sensed that something was off and tried to bring up a topic she thought would make her happy.

“Yu’er, can we not talk about this during work hours?” Shang Zhuoxi emerged from the office, now wearing a white coat. She swept her hand back, allowing her golden hair to cascade down from the collar, intensifying the shadows cast on her sculpted features. She appeared even more unapproachable. Xu Yuer pouted, wondering why Shang Zhuoxi changed so quickly. She had been so gentle just yesterday, but today she seemed so distant.

“Fine, I won’t mention it.” Xu Yuer noticed one thing – as long as she behaved, Shang Zhuoxi wouldn’t get angry. Indeed, Shang Zhuoxi’s expression softened at that moment.

“I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Sorry…” Shang Zhuoxi put down her phone, her gaze becoming sharp. An Chujie had changed her phone number in just a morning’s time. Shang Zhuoxi started to feel uneasy. Why did this eight-hour shift feel so long today?

“Yu’er, I don’t have time to accompany you for dinner tonight. You can go by yourself,” Shang Zhuoxi said, determined to find An Chujie and have a clear conversation with her.

“Hmph, what are you going to do? I can accompany you to the gym,” Xu Yuer grabbed Shang Zhuoxi’s arm, her face filled with innocence and confusion.

“Yu’er, be obedient and don’t ask so many questions, okay?” Shang Zhuoxi sighed, feeling helpless as she touched Xu Yuer’s face.

“Will you accompany me next time then?”

“Fine,” Shang Zhuoxi turned around, her annoyance evident in the corners of her eyes.

Shang Zhuoxi arrived at An Chujie’s home, but no matter how she tried, the key wouldn’t open the door. Did An Chujie change the locks?

“*!” Shang Zhuoxi slammed her hands against the door, venting her frustration. Why was An Chujie so annoying? She turned around, crossed her arms, and leaned against the door, waiting. She didn’t even know if An Chujie was home or not…

Dark clouds gradually loomed overhead, streetlights flickered on, but that figure never appeared. Shang Zhuoxi started to feel restless. She had never waited for someone at her doorstep like this before. The carefully chosen high heels now seemed uncomfortable, and Shang Zhuoxi felt uneasy. She tried crouching down, her slender body folding in on itself, her hair falling to cover her knees and her face. She thought about how she would scold An Chujie when she finally came back.

An Chujie watched from a distance, observing the figure crouched and hugging themselves at the doorstep.

“Beep… beep…” Qi Ruan honked the horn twice, wondering why An Chujie was still lingering at the entrance of the gate. The piercing sound entered Shang Zhuoxi’s ears, causing her to look over. The sudden bright light blinded her, but she could make out a blurry yet familiar figure hurriedly running against the car lights. Shang Zhuoxi immediately stood up and quickly walked towards that direction.

“Let’s go, Qi Ruan, wherever you want to drive, just go faster,” An Chujie, who had just gotten off Qi Ruan’s car, got back inside. She didn’t want to encounter Shang Zhuoxi. Qi Ruan smiled knowingly and reversed the car, heading towards the outskirts. Shang Zhuoxi recognized Qi Ruan’s car. Her unease, impatience, and anger all surged up at that moment. She quickly got into her car, not even bothering to change into driving shoes. As soon as the car started, she stepped on the gas and followed closely behind.

Qi Ruan saw the relentless pursuit of the Maserati through the rearview mirror, and a strong sense of competition surged within her. Who told that person with the last name Shang to mock her poor driving skills? Today, she would show her.

“An, is your seatbelt fastened tightly?” Qi Ruan gripped the steering wheel tightly and slowly pressed down on the accelerator.

“Mm,” An Chujie nodded, and the sudden acceleration made her body tilt heavily backward.

The two cars raced on the empty road, one following closely behind the other.

An Chujie couldn’t bear to stay in Qi Ruan’s car for even a minute longer. She continued to accelerate, stepping harder on the gas pedal. With a honk, she suddenly dashed past them, turned on the blinker, and performed a drifting maneuver right in front of the Land Rover at the highway entrance. Qi Ruan was stunned by her actions as the car approached at high speed. An Chujie covered her mouth, her heart rate instantly skyrocketing. Finally, with a sharp brake from Qi Ruan, the car came to a stop just centimeters away. At the same time, two large trucks accelerated and raced towards them on the highway. If Qi Ruan hadn’t stopped in time, that Maserati would have likely become scrap metal under the wheels of the trucks.

Three people got off the car at the same time.

“Shang Zhuoxi, are you out of your mind?!” An Chujie almost yelled, but Shang Zhuoxi was still reveling in her successful interception, completely unaware of how dangerous her actions just were. She was wearing a jumpsuit with high-waisted pants, her hands tucked in the pockets. She blinked at An Chujie, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous blue light, as if saying, “Hey, An Chujie, did you see that? I’m better than her. So, are you going to come with me or not?”

An Chujie walked towards Shang Zhuoxi, step by step, her clothes billowing in the wind, making her look fragile. Her hair danced in the air. Shang Zhuoxi proudly glanced at Qi Ruan and then wrapped her arms around An Chujie’s slender body, pulling her into an embrace once again. It felt so good to hold An Chujie, her flying hair carrying her favorite scent. Shang Zhuoxi’s previous negative emotions vanished in that moment. She lowered her head, lifted the corners of her mouth, and softly said, “Are you afraid of me dying?”

An Chujie leaned against her chest, but she was scared of this embrace. Surprisingly to Shang Zhuoxi, An Chujie pushed her away with force. “Stop joking about death, Shang Zhuoxi. I hope you won’t come looking for me again,” An Chujie looked at Shang Zhuoxi, her eyes sincere, as if pleading for her to stay away.

The contents of the morning note flashed in Shang Zhuoxi’s mind. She wanted to ask why, but her guilt held her back. Shang Zhuoxi reached out and smoothed An Chujie’s disheveled hair, then quietly waited for her to speak. After a long silence, An Chujie finally spoke up, “Please spend more time with her. Don’t let her become the second me,” An Chujie said softly, her gaze shifting away.

“Her?” Shang Zhuoxi smiled and approached her, touching her cool face. “Who else do I have besides you?” Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes overflowed with tenderness.

“You… You know it deep down,” An Chujie evaded her hand, unable to speak about such matters.

“Chujie, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Can we just go home after all this drama?” Shang Zhuoxi anxiously grabbed her wrist.

“Let go of me. I’m not causing a scene. You can pretend not to know what happened, that’s your business. I’ve paid back everything I owe you now. We have no relationship anymore, and I don’t want anything to do with you,” An Chujie felt nauseated at the thought of Xu Yuer’s face on the car window yesterday.

“President Shang, you really are domineering and greedy. If you have something, stop coveting what others have,” Qi Ruan approached, wrapping her arm around An Chujie’s waist and staring at Shang Zhuoxi. “I’ve lent her to you for ten minutes. I should take her back now. President Shang should understand the concept of returning what you borrowed, right?” Qi Ruan kissed An Chujie’s cheek through her hair.

“An, go back to the car first.”

“An? Is that what you call her?!” Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes stung from Qi Ruan’s actions. She once again squeezed An Chujie’s wrist, her pupils contracting. “Have you been fooling around with her?!”

“Let go, you’re hurting me!” An Chujie winced in pain, furrowing her brows. In that moment, Shang Zhuoxi finally realized that An Chujie could feel pain too. She loosened her grip slightly, not wanting to let go completely.

“So what if we are? So what if we’re not? It has nothing to do with you,” An Chujie shook her off with disgust on her face, walking away without looking back.

“President Shang, are you feeling heartbroken? So now you can understand how An felt when she saw you with that doctor from your hospital, Xu. If I were to be intimate with her right in front of you…” Qi Ruan deliberately paused, observing Shang Zhuoxi’s reaction.

“Would President Shang immediately take my life? Or perhaps, take hers?” Qi Ruan took out a cigarette and placed it between her lips, glancing at Shang Zhuoxi. She remembered Shang Zhuoxi’s reaction to cigarettes before and decided to put the lighter away.

“Do you dare to touch her and find out?” Shang Zhuoxi couldn’t bear to hear those two words.

“What wouldn’t I dare?” Qi Ruan sneered. “If I remember correctly, this is the second time President Shang has spoken to me with such a threatening tone,” Qi Ruan lowered her head, playing with the ring on her finger. “Her love for you may be your leverage, but now that she doesn’t hate you, you should be secretly delighted. What right do you have to threaten me like a possessive owner?” Qi Ruan pursed her lips, provocatively challenging her.

Shang Zhuoxi struggled to suppress her anger and the urge to act. Apart from the person in her car, this was the first time she had ever felt the impulse to harm someone. The night grew darker, and Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes sparkled with determination. She maintained the attitude of a victor, lazily leaning against the car as she smirked with contempt and said, “Whether or not I have leverage is not for you to decide. As long as I wish it, she will willingly follow behind me. And as for you, do you really understand her?”

“No, you don’t understand her. I see that you know how to hurt her, striking at her vulnerabilities. Yes, perhaps she still can’t let go of you at the moment, but she can no longer love you.”

……

After getting into the car, Qi Ruan turned around and left Shang Zhuoxi with a strange smile. As she watched Qi Ruan’s car drive away, Shang Zhuoxi weakly leaned against the car. Suddenly, Shang Zhuoxi lost all her courage. Had she finally exhausted her energy? Not being able to love, what a helpless reason.

Thinking about An Chujie, who was so tender and affectionate last night, Shang Zhuoxi realized that she had already made up her mind to leave her. Shang Zhuoxi’s mind was in chaos, with images of An Chujie’s disgusted expression, Xu Yuer’s breathless voice calling her name, and Qi Ruan’s arrogant demeanor. They mixed together like vibrant colors, until they turned into a terrifying black.

“I’m happy, An, really,” Qi Ruan said while driving, glancing at An Chujie through the rearview mirror. “I don’t mean it that way. I mean, at least you won’t have to be in so much pain anymore.”

An Chujie simply shook her head, a feeling that Qi Ruan couldn’t understand.

Once she returned home and closed the door, An Chujie let go of all her defenses. How could she not feel distressed? Pushing Shang Zhuoxi’s hand away in front of her was like removing a dagger that had been stabbed into her heart, causing unbearable pain. Thankfully, all she needed to do now was wait for it to heal slowly.

An Chujie went back to her room, where the scent of Shang Zhuoxi still lingered. In fact, after Shang Zhuoxi’s first visit, An Chujie had grown accustomed to sleeping in the guest room. She had given her all, but suddenly, that person no longer wanted it.

The phone rang, and it was Mr. Li calling. An Chujie quickly wiped away her tears, cleared her throat, and then answered the phone, maintaining her usual gentle and obedient tone.

“Mr. Li, is there something you need now?” An Chujie asked with a smile, disguising her teary voice.

“Xiao Jie, I’ll ask you one last time, are you willing to come to headquarters and develop your career here? I’ve already arranged everything for you. Honestly, we have high hopes for you and want to invest in your growth,” Mr. Li said eagerly.

“Okay, I’ll come,” An Chujie answered without hesitation this time. She needed a new life, she wanted to leave this city that held too many painful memories for her.

“Why the sudden change of heart? Well, if you’re coming, it’s better to do it in the next couple of days. You don’t have to worry about housing or anything, the company will take care of it for you. ‘Just put it in the warehouse next door!’ (addressing the staff behind him),” Mr. Li continued. “Xiao Jie, I’m really happy that you’ve made this decision. Young people should face challenges head-on. Alright, prepare yourself in the next two days. I have some other matters to attend to for now. See you in Kyoto.”

“Okay, I’ll come as soon as possible. See you in Kyoto, Mr. Li,” An Chujie replied. After hanging up the phone, her tears magically dried up. She started packing her things. With this opportunity, she didn’t need to wait anymore. She could leave as early as tomorrow. She couldn’t believe how foolish she had been.

Once, all she wanted was to quietly play the piano for that one person. But now, she didn’t want to be so humble anymore. She still wanted to stand on the world’s center stage, not for anyone else, but for the brilliance of her own life.

After waking up naturally, An Chujie bought a plane ticket for the next available flight. She only sent a message to one person, and that person was Qi Ruan.