Gloves - Chapter 34

On the black and white piano keys, a pair of slender hands gracefully and firmly glided, pressed, and lifted. Slowly, the fingertips turned crimson, as if filled with anger. The once orderly melody became intricate and complex, ultimately coming to an abrupt halt with a sharp and short note.

An Chujie sat there stiffly, her breath becoming rapid. She stood up and poured herself a glass of hot water, taking a sip. Then she leaned back on the couch, running her fingers through her hair, pushing it all behind her head. Even after all this time, that face, that smile, would still occasionally appear in An Chujie’s mind. Whenever she thought of Shang Zhuoxi, her skin would flush with heat.

She tilted her head back, allowing the liquid that had welled up in her eyes to flow back. She had long stopped shedding tears for that person.

An Chujie exhaled deeply and returned to her room to compose herself. Her emotions were as delicate as strands of hair, easily tangled. She finally made the decision to cut off those long and disturbing thoughts.

“An, how did you suddenly come to your senses?” Qi Ruan asked as she dialed a number on her phone.

“Leave the trouble behind,” An Chujie smiled and gave a simple response.

“Ouyang, save me a spot, I have a VIP here,” Qi Ruan glanced at An Chujie.

“Sure thing, boss.”

“Your hair is really nice, An. How do you feel about the temperature?” Qi Ruan rubbed the silky black stockings in her hands.

“It’s fine,” An Chujie replied softly, afraid of causing any pain.

“Such beautiful long hair, are you sure you don’t feel a bit regretful about cutting it?” Qi Ruan pursed her lips, feeling a hint of regret while also feeling happy because it meant that An Chujie was starting to truly let go of the past.

“There’s nothing to regret. Some things, having more of them only adds to your own pressure and troubles,” An Chujie said, relieved.

“An, it’s been a while since I’ve worked with these things. What if I don’t cut it well?” Qi Ruan said, but her hands were already skillfully moving.

They glanced at each other through the mirror, and An Chujie lowered her head and smiled.

“If you don’t cut it well… then be prepared for a gentle punishment.”

“Well… how do you want to punish me?” Qi Ruan leaned down, pressing herself against An Chujie’s ear, her eyes filled with ambiguous anticipation.

“…” An Chujie sighed helplessly. It was surprising to see someone getting so excited at the mention of punishment. “Just saying it casually, I trust you, big boss.”

“Come on, just say it. As long as you say it,” Qi Ruan’s voice deliberately carried a warm air.

“Hey, there are a lot of people watching over here,” An Chujie sat up straight, embarrassed, and whispered softly. She looked around and saw the employees in the shop sneaking glances in their direction while talking amongst themselves.

“Oh? Is that so? Well, as someone in the entertainment business, I’m willing to sacrifice my professional reputation for you, beautiful An,” Qi Ruan said, straightening up. She rolled up her sleeves, picked up a comb and scissors, and her expression became serious. She looked quite professional.

As Qi Ruan picked up the scissors, An Chujie couldn’t help but think of Shang Zhuoxi holding surgical scissors. Her heart trembled for a moment, but that thought quickly disappeared. The person behind her was completely different. This person earned her trust and brought her warmth. An Chujie didn’t have many friends, so she cherished Qi Ruan’s presence even more. Therefore, she couldn’t allow herself to momentarily mistake her for someone else.

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“…Zhuoxi, come pick me up after your night shift,” Xu Yuer’s tone didn’t sound like a request, but more like a command.

“Is it still at that place?” Shang Zhuoxi didn’t catch everything Xu Yuer said earlier, but she remembered this part because it was too noisy on the other end of the phone.

“Yes,” Xu Yuer hung up without giving the other person a chance to refuse.

Dim flickering lights cast shadows over people’s heads. Although it was the winter solstice, the atmosphere in the bar still lingered with a summer vibe.

The bassist wildly shook his hair, his face adorned with strange makeup. He occasionally cast a mischievous glance towards Xu Yuer, and whenever their eyes met, Xu Yuer felt more fear than anything else.

It was already 1 a.m., and for these accustomed to a decadent lifestyle, the night was just beginning.

The consecutive late-night shifts had left Shang Zhuoxi feeling exhausted. Despite that, she still came to the bar that Xu Yuer mentioned after finishing work.

The bassist came down and had a couple of drinks with Xu Yuer, and she realized that he wasn’t as intimidating as his gaze suggested.

“Sorry, I have to leave,” Xu Yuer said apologetically with a smile.

“I’ll walk you out,” the man stood up, grabbed his jacket hanging behind him, and gestured for Xu Yuer to follow him.

Shang Zhuoxi leaned against the car, squinting lazily as she watched the neon lights flicker outside the bar. She despised places like the bar, and she raised her hand to massage her temples, trying to shake off the weariness.

Finally, Xu Yuer came out, but there was another man beside her. He had exaggerated makeup and attire, making it difficult to see his true face. However, his hand was wrapped around Xu Yuer’s waist.

As they approached a street lamp, Xu Yuer glanced at the road across and then turned around, hooking her arm around the man’s neck. They leaned in close, their lips touching as they whispered something, followed by a seductive smile.

There was nothing more conspicuous than doing such things under a street lamp. Shang Zhuoxi saw the two of them pressed against each other, first surprised, but then the surprise was overwhelmed by a profound sense of weariness.

Xu Yuer crossed the road and walked up to Shang Zhuoxi. Immediately, her face went from the gentle and happy expression to that of a domineering young miss. Without a word, she opened the car door and got in herself, crossing her arms and sitting silently in the backseat.

“That bassist is quite handsome,” Xu Yuer broke the silence in the car, the atmosphere making her feel stifled.

“Oh, really?” Shang Zhuoxi gave a tired smile.

Another one of these perfunctory smiles!

“Yes, he told me a lot about himself,” Xu Yuer’s voice carried a hint of a crying tone.

“That’s nice,” Shang Zhuoxi responded habitually to Xu Yuer’s words.

Xu Yuer glared at Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes through the rearview mirror. Her prominent brow pressed down on her eyes, revealing nothing from her face.

“He said no one can tolerate their girlfriend casually getting intimate with others!” Xu Yuer’s voice trembled with a slight sob.

“Mhmm,” Shang Zhuoxi murmured, as if talking to herself, her lips forming a monotone syllable.

Xu Yuer was completely infuriated by Shang Zhuoxi’s attitude. She stood up from her seat and began to slap at the driver haphazardly. The steering wheel swayed uncontrollably, and suddenly a blinding light shone from the side. Shang Zhuoxi immediately slammed on the brakes, causing both of their bodies to lurch forward. The car came to a stop at the intersection just as a motorcycle narrowly passed in front of them. The driver shouted a few curse words at them before driving off.

“Yu’er, do you realize how dangerous that was?” Shang Zhuoxi’s tone grew heavier. Normally, she could tolerate Yu’er’s tantrums, but when it came to matters of life and death, she couldn’t allow her to act recklessly.

Yu’er herself was also frightened by the incident. She obediently sat back down and remained silent.

As soon as they arrived home, she exploded.

She threw the gloves that Shang Zhuoxi had handed her onto the ground. “What do you mean, Shang Zhuoxi?” Yu’er raised her head, her eyes red.

“Yu’er, I’m really tired,” Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes were filled with exhaustion. All she wanted was to get a good night’s sleep.

“What do you mean?!” Yu’er didn’t care about Shang Zhuoxi’s condition. She just wanted an explanation.

“…,” Shang Zhuoxi didn’t even understand what she had done wrong. “What do you think I mean? Can we just go rest?”

“Why should I listen to you?” Yu’er’s posture suggested that she was ready to have a big argument with Shang Zhuoxi.

“I prefer you when you’re more obedient,” Shang Zhuoxi gently said as she took off her coat. Yu’er’s anger couldn’t be suppressed in the slightest.

“You always say I’m not obedient. If you cared about me a little more, maybe I would listen to you. But Shang Zhuoxi, you don’t care about me at all,” Xu Yuer cried.

“I can’t believe you didn’t see how intimate I was with that guy. But you didn’t even feel a hint of jealousy,” Xu Yuer’s shoulders shook as she cried out.

“I don’t want you to be ‘nice’ to me. You just want us to be like a normal couple. You should have normal emotions too. We should be equals, but it’s always me acting alone,” Shang Zhuoxi watched her cry and felt a twinge of discomfort herself.

“Yu’er, stop crying. Go take a shower and go to bed,” Shang Zhuoxi wiped away her tears.

The touch on her face still felt cold and distant. Xu Yuer immediately pulled away from her hand.

“Don’t touch me, Shang Zhuoxi. If you dare, take off the gloves for me,” Xu Yuer said as she started to forcefully pull at Shang Zhuoxi’s gloves. As soon as their hands touched, Shang Zhuoxi firmly clamped down on her hand, challenging her boundaries.

Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes instantly became sharp, her pupils contracting rapidly. The fire within her slowly ignited, and she struggled to control it. In her usual soft voice, she said, “I’ll count to three, Yu’er. If you continue to make a scene, I can’t guarantee that I won’t do something we’ll both regret.”

“One,” Xu Yuer didn’t listen at all, using both her hands and feet.

“Two,” Shang Zhuoxi’s eyes quickly frosted over, her grip tightening. Xu Yuer began to feel scared.

“…Three!” Shang Zhuoxi let go of the now subdued person. The fire in her heart slowly extinguished, and the icy glare in her eyes retreated bit by bit.

“This won’t happen again. Go wash up and go to sleep,” Shang Zhuoxi dropped those few cold words and went upstairs.

Xu Yuer slumped on the ground, her eyes hollow. She began to doubt her choices. Xu Yuer had never been treated so cruelly by anyone before.

The next day, during their lunch break, Shang Zhuoxi confessed to Xu Yuer. She explained that last night, she didn’t say anything because she was afraid Xu Yuer would get angry and run out in the middle of the night, which was unsafe. Shang Zhuoxi said, “Yu’er, you’re great, and I appreciate you, but we’re not meant to be together.” She said it quickly and lightly, as if stabbing through their bodies with a knife without feeling any pain.