Gloves - Chapter 37

“President Shang, Miss An is currently working at the RLM headquarters and is currently living in an apartment building not far from the company. It seems she has also purchased a house near the Fourth Ring Road for investment. We have also found that she bought a ticket to Xiamen this morning, as well as a return ticket for tomorrow,” the person on the other end of the phone spoke quickly, mentioning headquarters, plane tickets, and Shang Zhuoxi absorbed this information.

“………. Your flight is about to take off,” Shang Zhuoxi suddenly looked up and saw the electronic screen flashing with bright red letters – Xiamen.

“Send me her phone number, and the money will be transferred to your account in an hour,” Shang Zhuoxi’s heart sank suddenly, and then started to beat faster. Her mouth, curved into a smile, was covered by the mask, but it couldn’t hide the wild gleam in her eyes. That woman just now…

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It was the peak hour of traffic congestion at 8 o’clock in the evening, and An Chujie decided to take the subway back home by herself. The air became heavy amidst the pushing and shoving crowd, but An Chujie was already accustomed to such a situation. Every time the train doors opened at a station, it felt like more people were getting on than getting off. She was pushed from one train car to another, without even a handrail to hold onto.

The smell of alcohol emanating from a drunken man beside her made An Chujie feel a bit nauseous. However, soon enough, the scent of a pleasant perfume replaced the unpleasant odor. An Chujie found herself squeezed into a soft embrace, with golden hair falling down from behind her cheeks. As the train approached the station and the brakes were applied, an arm wrapped around her shoulder from behind, stabilizing her body that would have otherwise lurched forward. The white gloves on her shoulder were strikingly pale, a combination of danger and safety. An Chujie dared not turn around to look at the person behind her. The arm holding her was strong, and she couldn’t break free, especially with the crowd surrounding them. She had no choice but to rely on the only support behind her to maintain her balance, feeling safe throughout the journey.

Exiting the subway station, the crowd dispersed, and a chill swept in from all directions. The warmth that had been pressed against her back had long dissipated. An Chujie walked briskly, fearing that the person might follow her.

To An Chujie’s surprise, the tall figure appeared by the streetlight outside her building. Her hands were in the pockets of her black coat, and the light cascaded down from above, casting deep shadows beneath her features, resembling a vampire from a TV show.

An Chujie thought for a moment, and decided to slow down her pace, walking calmly towards the person. She told herself there was no need to be afraid.

“Just now on the subway, thank you,” An Chujie smiled generously, her lips red and teeth white, as if expressing gratitude for a moment of unfamiliar warmth. The tall woman remained silent, her gaze fixed on An Chujie, causing her to lower her head and obstruct An Chujie’s view.

“Your heartbeat is quite fast,” the deep voice seemed to blend with the darkness.

“Oh, really?” An Chujie’s expression showed surprise, but her voice carried an indifferent tone.

“Don’t believe me? Listen then,” Shang Zhuoxi said, reaching out and forcefully pulling the person in front of her into a tight embrace.

“What are you doing?!” An Chujie quickly pushed away from the dominant figure. Who wouldn’t have an accelerated heartbeat with such a sudden action?

“Don’t move, just like before,” Shang Zhuoxi clung onto the person in her arms, holding them tightly, breathing in their scent.

“If you don’t let go, I’ll call security!” An Chujie was genuinely angry. Even if they had been familiar in the past, a certain level of respect should be maintained upon meeting again. After all, she had already been violated once yesterday morning at the airport.

Shang Zhuoxi rested her chin on An Chujie’s shoulder and said, “I miss you so much, An Chujie. I miss you every day.” As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears.

An Chujie stopped struggling. In that moment, the memories that had been buried not long ago began to surge restlessly underground. Shang Zhuoxi’s embrace was so tight that it was almost painful for An Chujie. A single hot tear fell onto the nape of An Chujie’s neck, watering the abandoned soil. Memories sprouted like wild, tangled vines, emerging from the soil and entangling An Chujie’s limbs, rendering her momentarily immobile. Wasn’t that Shang Zhuoxi’s tear? How could she cry because of this?

It was both expected and unexpected at the same time, just like how a child would occasionally reminisce about a lost toy. But the impact of time and the healing effect of new lovers shouldn’t have been just to this extent.

Shang Zhuoxi has always been one to respond to gentleness rather than force, and An Chujie knew this all too well. So she mechanically raised her hand to comfort Shang Zhuoxi’s back. When she sensed a slight relaxation, she gently removed Shang Zhuoxi’s hand, cutting off the entangled vines. The air became cool again.

An Chujie said coldly, “That’s your business, not mine. I have to go home and rest for work tomorrow.” Her expression showed some impatience. After speaking, An Chujie no longer entangled with the person behind her and walked towards her home on her own.

Closing the door, An Chujie leaned against it and took a deep breath. She pressed her hand against her forehead, feeling a thin layer of sweat. When she heard Shang Zhuoxi crying and saying she missed her, a large part of An Chujie’s emotional walls instantly collapsed. It had nothing to do with her. It took courage to say such words. She tried to calm herself down, not allowing Shang Zhuoxi’s appearance to disrupt the new rhythm she had painstakingly established. Things were fine now, and she didn’t want to go back to the past.

Even though that person was right in front of her, Shang Zhuoxi couldn’t be held onto. That feeling was even more bitter and sour than endless longing.

When Shang Zhuoxi stood at the courthouse gate, holding solid evidence, An Chujie’s face suddenly appeared in her mind, causing her to hesitate.

If she insisted on completely overturning the case, it wouldn’t just affect her father. It would likely involve more people. An Minli would be the first to bear the brunt and go to prison. So, what would happen to An Chujie? Shang Zhuoxi knew the pain of witnessing a loved one behind bars, and she didn’t want An Chujie to go through it again. But if she didn’t pursue justice, her father would still have to endure two years in prison, and his reputation would never be cleared…

Shang Zhuoxi decided to put this matter aside for now.

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“You’ve even learned how to drive yourself,” Shang Zhuoxi said incredulously, looking at An Chujie. She seemed to appear wherever An Chujie might be.

An Chujie unlocked the car, and Shang Zhuoxi got in, noticing that the car had a spacious interior with comfortable leather seats. The scent of An Chujie lingered in the car.

“Get out,” An Chujie said sternly. She despised the feeling of being ignored and invaded.

“I like your car, Chujie,” Shang Zhuoxi said.

“Get out,” An Chujie repeated, but the person behind her leaned back in the seat, their blue eyes blinking, completely disregarding An Chujie’s anger.

They locked eyes for a few seconds, but An Chujie couldn’t be bothered anymore. She knew that the best way to strike at someone was to ignore them.

Instead of going home, An Chujie drove to the busiest mall, hoping to lose Shang Zhuoxi in the crowds. Besides, Shang Zhuoxi cared a lot about her image, so she wouldn’t dare misbehave in public.

Once they stepped out of the parking lot, Shang Zhuoxi frowned and quickly put on a face mask. She didn’t like crowded places, as the size of the crowd was directly proportional to the number of bacteria present.

Even if An Chujie walked fast, it seemed like Shang Zhuoxi could always keep her in focus. When An Chujie noticed the reflection of the same person behind her in every shiny surface in the mall, she understood that it was probably impossible to shake off Shang Zhuoxi. An Chujie felt helpless.

At that moment, a beautiful coat in a high-end boutique caught An Chujie’s attention. She entered the store, tried it on, and attracted the admiration of onlookers, including Shang Zhuoxi.

Not just anyone would dare to try on the latest modal outfit, let alone pass the price filter, which would filter out a large number of people. Moreover, wearing such clothes required a specific aura to pull it off.

The salesperson quickly assessed An Chujie’s appearance, admiring her delicate features that exuded a sense of comfort. Her well-proportioned figure made her appear slightly tall, and her chestnut hair accompanied by classic red lips gave her an Eastern vintage allure. The salesperson became excited:

“Miss, you have such a great figure and aura. Your taste is impeccable. This outfit is tailor-made, you know. If such a beauty like you doesn’t grab it first, it might end up being worn by those ill-proportioned socialites someday. I feel sorry for the clothes,” the salesperson sincerely praised. However, An Chujie didn’t pay much attention. She carefully examined the coat she was wearing. The designer had thoughtfully used silk fabric for the collar and cuffs, providing a different premium touch even to the often overlooked parts of the body. The craftsmanship and tailoring were exquisite, and the coat fit her perfectly. An Chujie loved it.

However, today she wasn’t specifically out shopping, and she needed to be mindful of her cash on hand. It seemed like her purse was still in the car. Looking at the price tag, An Chujie apologetically smiled and returned the coat to the salesperson, planning to come back another time to purchase it.

“What? Miss, don’t you like it? This is the most…” the salesperson’s words were cut off as they heard a voice. They turned their head and the first thing they saw was a shiny gold card. Looking up, their gaze met a pair of sky-like eyes on a white face mask. It seemed as if the golden light from the card was reflecting onto the woman’s hair. This woman was so tall and had such beautiful features. That was the salesperson’s immediate impression.

“Hey?” Shang Zhuoxi looked puzzled. The person in front of her seemed to be lost in thought.

“Oh,” the salesperson snapped back to reality and turned to look at An Chujie. The two women had completely contrasting auras, and that coat would probably look great on the taller beauty too.

“Look, I said if you don’t grab it, someone else will,” the salesperson happily took the card and the coat and walked towards the counter. Shang Zhuoxi smirked at An Chujie, even though it felt like An Chujie had transformed into a completely different person inside and out, Shang Zhuoxi could still easily read her thoughts from her eyes.

Although An Chujie lost a beloved piece of clothing, she also avoided an awkward situation.

As they walked out of the store, Shang Zhuoxi handed An Chujie the exquisitely wrapped bag.

“You were in such a hurry, leaving your wallet in the car. How did you become so absent-minded?” Shang Zhuoxi muttered the last sentence to herself.

“Here, the clothes are for you. You’ll look great in them.”

What does she mean by absent-minded? It’s all to get rid of Shang Zhuoxi. An Chujie stopped in her tracks, and Shang Zhuoxi walked up to her, standing face to face. “Shang Zhuo…” An Chujie was about to speak when suddenly, a swarm of people rushed towards them from behind Shang Zhuoxi.

The shouts drowned out whatever An Chujie was about to say, and the flash of cameras made both of them uncomfortable.

“Dorella! She’s Dorella!” a girl screamed.

“Is it really her? Not D?”

“It’s her, it’s her!”

“Is it really?!”

…Several people speculated, and then the crowd tightly surrounded Shang Zhuoxi.

“Dorella, can you sign something for me?”

“D, can we take a picture together?”

“OMG, I’ve been a fan for 2 years!”

…Male and female voices were heard one after another.

Shang Zhuoxi was truly taken aback by this sudden influx of people. She looked at An Chujie with a pleading gaze.

“Chujie, I just helped you. Now it’s your turn to help me,” Shang Zhuoxi was pushed towards An Chujie by the crowd, and her hand was tightly held by a young girl.

“Hey, aren’t you that beautiful pianist? Can you sign something for me too?” A few people turned their attention to An Chujie.

At that moment, two security guards rushed over and quickly placed both of them in a safe space. Now, the fans were even more convinced that their idol, the famous model, was standing right in front of them.

“Sorry,” An Chujie spoke up, holding Shang Zhuoxi’s hand. Even through the gloves, Shang Zhuoxi could feel the reassurance in An Chujie’s touch. “We’re just out shopping together,” An Chujie continued, “She’s not Dorella. She’s sick, that’s why she’s wearing a mask.” An Chujie looked at Shang Zhuoxi with a questioning gaze, asking if it was okay to take off the mask. Shang Zhuoxi had no choice but to nod, and she watched as An Chujie reached out and removed her mask.

“I told you she wasn’t Dorella!”

“She’s a mixed-race beauty, just like D.”

“D has already been to China this year, you know…”

“……”

Another round of discussions ensued. Although they weren’t mistaken for their idols, at least they were two eye-catching beauties. After being bombarded with random photos from people’s phones, the crowd finally dispersed. Shang Zhuoxi had actually encountered similar situations where she was mistaken for a famous model, but in the past, only a few people would approach her, not like today’s sudden swarm.

An Chujie pulled Shang Zhuoxi and quickly walked out of the mall. This feeling was strange for Shang Zhuoxi. An Chujie’s figure seemed to be glowing, and everything around her felt blank. In her eyes, there was only An Chujie.

An Chujie went to the bank and without hesitation, transferred the money for the clothing to Shang Zhuoxi’s account. Soon, Shang Zhuoxi received a notification from the bank confirming the payment.

“Oh, so you still remember my card number,” Shang Zhuoxi smiled like a child, genuinely happy that An Chujie remembered her card number. Her smile had a way of making people forget their troubles. An Chujie couldn’t help but admit that she loved seeing Shang Zhuoxi’s smiling face. However, she didn’t want any further involvement with Shang Zhuoxi right now.

“Shang Zhuoxi, I don’t know and I don’t want to know why you’re here. I believe your Dean is a busy person too. I hope, no, I sincerely request that you stop trying to get close to me. Let’s just operate within our own orbits, following the rules, it’s much better than wearing each other down,” An Chujie said. She would rather they be the most familiar strangers, preferably not even friends. She was afraid of repeating past mistakes.