Gloves - Chapter 40

“Mr. Li, please have a seat. Chujie, feel at home. In my house, everyone is free to do as they please,” Dong Hao warmly welcomed his guests. He retrieved a bottle of his finest wine, urging his wife in the kitchen to be quicker. For some reason, she hadn’t been as efficient in her tasks these past few days.

Dong Hao had recently invested in a real estate business in Kyoto, traveling between the coastal and inland areas. Luckily, his mother and wife lived here, providing him with a place to stay.

Dong Hao’s mother seemed to have taken a particular liking to An Chujie, constantly bombarding her with questions. An Chujie didn’t mind at all, gladly engaging in conversation with the elderly woman. However, their conversation took an unexpected turn.

“Oh, Xiaozi, has President Shang arrived?” Dong Hao’s mother pursed her lips, her voice hoarse and sharp.

“Oh, Mom, she’ll be here soon. The doctor is very busy,” Dong Hao replied. He had learned that Shang Zhuoxi was recently in Kyoto for some business, which was why he took the opportunity to invite her for dinner today.

Shang… Why is it always her? An Chujie sighed and rubbed her forehead, downing a glass of an appetizing drink from the coffee table. It seemed like she couldn’t escape that person no matter where she went.

“Ah… Yes, yes, President Shang.” Dong Hao nodded and bowed as he spoke on the phone.

Just as Shang Zhuoxi entered the room, Dong’s wife emerged from the kitchen, carrying the final plate of fresh vegetables.

“President Shang, it’s great to see you. Wonderful timing,” Dong Hao’s mother beamed with joy upon seeing her benefactor. She trembled as she pulled Shang Zhuoxi towards the dining table, seating her between herself and An Chujie.

Dong’s mother’s gratitude towards Shang Zhuoxi was akin to how the older generation revered revolutionary martyrs. If it weren’t for Shang Zhuoxi’s help during her illness back then, she doubted she would be sitting here enjoying a meal. Instead, she might have been receiving offerings from her son.

After the host introduced everyone, they began their meal.

“President Shang, how long do you plan to stay this time? Any thoughts of exploring the area and having some fun? Mr. Li can arrange for some people to show you around,” Mr. Li asked. He wanted to befriend Shang Zhuoxi and realized that he didn’t have any doctor friends in his circle.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Li, but I don’t need that. I’m actually heading back tonight. I took a week off for myself here, and my phone has been ringing non-stop,” Shang Zhuoxi politely declined Mr. Li’s suggestion.

“Just a week? President Shang, you have such high standards for yourself. People say being a director is the most relaxed position, but you’re still working so hard,” another one of Dong Hao’s friends teased, holding his wine glass with admiration.

Shang Zhuoxi smiled but didn’t respond. Clearly, they didn’t understand the nature of her medical profession.

The heating in the house was warm, creating a peaceful atmosphere during dinner. Due to her frequent encounters with alcohol at social gatherings, An Chujie handled herself with ease at the table. She effortlessly smiled and engaged with everyone, making well-timed jokes to lighten the mood. Dong Hao couldn’t help but sigh, amazed at how the timid young girl from a few years ago had blossomed into such a mature and confident woman.

When Shang Zhuoxi caught sight of An Chujie mechanically tugging at the corners of her mouth through her glass, she once again felt that uncomfortable sense of being ignored.

“Chujie, come on, eat more of this dish,”

“…,”

“Dong’s wife’s duck dish is really delicious! Chujie, you should have more of that duck,”

“…,”

“Chujie, eat more of this to get your vitamins…”

“…!” An Chujie’s patience reached its limit as Shang Zhuoxi continued to pile food onto her plate like a child, seemingly oblivious to her lack of appetite.

“Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll handle it myself,” An Chujie forced herself to look at the full plate in front of her. What was once empty now overflowed, but she couldn’t refuse Shang Zhuoxi in front of so many people. She stared blankly at the greasy food, feeling no desire to eat.

Everyone thought Shang Zhuoxi was just being considerate of her friend, assuming it was a professional habit.

When Shang Zhuoxi caught sight of An Chujie’s restrained face, she couldn’t help but smile. Only An Chujie knew that Shang Zhuoxi was doing it on purpose.

Finally, Brother Hao’s words diverted Shang Zhuoxi’s attention away from An Chujie.

“Come and sit with us and eat together!” Dong Hao called out to his wife, who was still busy in the kitchen.

Shang Zhuoxi turned to look and noticed that something seemed off with the woman. Ever since Shang Zhuoxi first laid eyes on Dong’s wife when she entered, she had sensed that something was wrong. Her eyes and ankles were unusually swollen. Dong’s wife seemed…

Shang Zhuoxi’s gaze suddenly sharpened. She put down her utensils and quickly walked into the kitchen. Dong’s wife was lying on the floor, her expression filled with pain. Everyone at the table was frightened. Shang Zhuoxi tapped Dong’s wife’s side with her palm and then rolled up her sleeve. The veins on her forearm were swollen and bulging, just as Shang Zhuoxi suspected.

“What’s going on?” Dong Hao anxiously asked as he looked at his wife on the ground, ready to help her up.

“Brother Hao, don’t move her for now. Call 120, hurry,” Shang Zhuoxi stopped Dong Hao’s actions.

“120? Why do we need to call 120 again?” Dong’s mother was also frightened. She shouted in a hoarse voice and stumbled towards the kitchen. For her, 120 was synonymous with danger and a matter of life and death.

At that moment, only An Chujie remained calm. She took out her phone, inexplicably believing that as long as she listened to Shang Zhuoxi and followed her instructions, Dong’s wife wouldn’t face any major issues.

Shang Zhuoxi squatted on the ground, her gaze never leaving Dong’s wife.

“How long has she been on dialysis?” Shang Zhuoxi asked.

“Almost two years,” Dong Hao immediately replied.

“President Shang, how did you know?”

“Dong’s wife is likely experiencing a renal embolism caused by a blood clot. She needs surgery in the surgical department. Brother Hao, you should go and wait for the ambulance,” Shang Zhuoxi ignored Dong Hao’s question and said directly, “Alright, I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

“Okay, I’ll go down and wait.”

“Brother Hao, I have to catch a flight, so I won’t accompany you to the hospital,” Shang Zhuoxi said, pulling An Chujie close to her waist.

“Chujie, shouldn’t you also go to the airport to see off our ‘old friend’?” Shang Zhuoxi whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

“You go. Thank you, President Shang. I won’t say much more. I’ll properly thank you when I have the chance.” The car door closed, the car drove away, and now there were only An Chujie and Shang Zhuoxi left.

“What time is your flight? Don’t be late. I know your time as the Dean is precious,” Shang Zhuoxi said.

One has to admit that when Shang Zhuoxi squatted down in front of Mrs Dong, An Chujie once again saw the sparkling side of Shang Zhuoxi.

“Oh, are you in such a hurry to send me away?” Shang Zhuoxi’s hands wrapped around An Chujie’s waist, pulling her closer.

“Don’t do this,” An Chujie glanced around and instinctively pushed Shang Zhuoxi away. The passing shadows slowed their pace as they walked by, fortunate that the streetlight above them was broken. No one could clearly see their faces.

“What do you mean?” Shang Zhuoxi smirked, lowering her head to lightly brush her nose against An Chujie’s forehead. Her intuition never failed her, An Chujie didn’t embarrass her in front of everyone today, and she obediently called for an ambulance. In her heart, she still held a certain position.

Shang Zhuoxi boldly sought out the softness of An Chujie’s lips. An Chujie immediately turned her head, but the next second, her neck was covered with a chilling sensation, accompanied by the hot breath of Shang Zhuoxi. The contrast in temperature sent a shiver down An Chujie’s spine.

Shang Zhuoxi skillfully massaged the back of An Chujie’s head.

“No, please!” An Chujie struggled, her body unexpectedly growing weak. Shang Zhuoxi couldn’t hear any sounds at this moment. She buried herself in An Chujie’s fragrant and warm neck, carefully carving her mark.

Slowly, the tingling sensation in An Chujie’s neck turned into pain, which sobered her up. She used all her strength to free herself from Shang Zhuoxi’s grip.

“You’ve gone too far!” An Chujie pushed Shang Zhuoxi away forcefully.

“How have I gone too far? What are you holding onto, Chujie?” The streetlight flickered slightly, and Shang Zhuoxi finally saw the intense rejection on An Chujie’s face.

“Don’t touch me!” An Chujie opened Shang Zhuoxi’s outstretched hand.

“Chujie, I’m sorry.” I’m sorry for violating you just now. I’m sorry for the harm I caused you two years ago.

“You can go.” An Chujie displayed her usual attitude of annoyance. She didn’t want to hear any more apologies or have Shang Zhuoxi’s presence lingering around. That would be the greatest compensation for her.

“Chujie, can you forgive me?” Shang Zhuoxi started to feel scared, finally uttering those words. Forgiveness meant admitting that she was wrong. Tears glistened on Shang Zhuoxi’s eyelashes, reflecting a faint light, but in An Chujie’s eyes, that light was piercing.

“Forgive? I never blamed you. It was my fault for not being there for you during that time. It’s all over now, let the past be the past!” An Chujie shifted her gaze away, unwilling and afraid to see the hurt expression on Shang Zhuoxi’s face. This week had been more exhausting than any of the past two years.

“No, Chujie, can we start over? I love you, can you give me a chance?” Shang Zhuoxi’s voice was soft, but it hit An Chujie’s ears like a thunderbolt, followed by raindrops falling lightly.

Start over? Love? A chance? Why did they sound so ridiculous? It was as if someone tore off the scab that had just formed, reopened the wound, regardless of whether it would hurt or not, just to see how deep the wound was, and then try to treat it in their own way. An Chujie turned around, covering her trembling chin and lips, shaking her head incessantly. She despised this feeling so much. Why did Shang Zhuoxi’s every appearance make her lose control? She seemed like an obstinate little knife, poking at the soft spot in her heart over and over again. An Chujie didn’t want to go back to the past, and she couldn’t believe the love that Shang Zhuoxi spoke of. Perhaps she had confused the concepts of love and possession. Possession included love, but love was never equal to possession.

An Chujie lifted her head, took a deep breath, and turned to face Shang Zhuoxi. She steadied her voice and said coldly, “Shang Zhuoxi, I hope you understand that all we have now is a pile of ashes. These ashes are the last traces of passion I had for you, after it burned out completely. It’s because of this that I haven’t treated you as a complete stranger, and haven’t slapped you in the face for your disrespectful actions towards me. Don’t tell me that your recent persistence is only to seek my forgiveness and start over with me. How can someone like President Shang have so much free time? If you truly love me as you claim, then please don’t disturb me anymore. At least that way, I might still feel a bit grateful towards you and not end up utterly disgusted by your presence, Shang Zhuoxi.”