Gloves - Chapter 42

Upon hearing Shang Zhuoxi call her name, the flight attendant’s face immediately turned red. It wasn’t a good time for a chat, and she was also off duty now. Wang Shili secretly thought to herself that if she had the chance to see Shang Zhuoxi for a third time, she would approach her and ask for her contact information.

But when she snapped back to reality, the passenger had already left.

Because the car had been parked in the parking lot for a long time, a thin layer of dust had settled on the windows.

Shang Zhuoxi rolled down the car window, and the figure in uniform became clear. Wang Shili stretched her neck, as if searching for something.

“Hey, are you waiting for someone…?” Being a flight attendant was not easy, and it was quite late to be standing on the roadside.

However, Wang Shili didn’t expect that the third opportunity would come so soon.

“Shang Zhuoxi??” Wang Shili bent down to look at Shang Zhuoxi, her voice as gentle as when she was on duty.

“Oh, I’m waiting for a taxi to go home.”

“Get in. I don’t mind giving you a ride.” Shang Zhuoxi offered without hesitation.

“Huh?” Wang Shili couldn’t react for a moment. She was still contemplating whether or not to ask Shang Zhuoxi for her contact information.

“I said get in the car. I’ll give you a ride, or else I’ll leave,” Shang Zhuoxi’s profile looked so cold. Wang Shili rolled her eyes behind Shang Zhuoxi’s back, then eagerly opened the back door.

“So… what do you do?” Wang Shili asked tentatively. The car was dimly lit, the neon lights and street lamps flickering by quickly. Occasionally, a ray of light illuminated Shang Zhuoxi’s features in the rearview mirror, and her eyes displayed a deep blue hue.

The response Wang Shili received was silence. The driver seemed preoccupied, so she didn’t push further. She just stared at the gloves on the steering wheel, lost in her thoughts. The first time she saw her, she was wearing a pair of black gloves. Wang Shili had all sorts of curiosity about Shang Zhuoxi, but she had to keep it to herself.

“Is it here?” Shang Zhuoxi finally spoke up.

“Um…” This stretch of road was the most dreaded and accident-prone area for Wang Shili.

“It’s at the next intersection, the first residential area on the left,” Wang Shili’s voice was a bit soft, as she felt guilty for inconveniencing Shang Zhuoxi.

“What?” Shang Zhuoxi stopped the car and asked. The brakes had been applied, and she couldn’t hear clearly.

“I said…” Seeing that Shang Zhuoxi had stopped the car, Wang Shili didn’t know what else to say. She had a face full of embarrassment. Just as she was mentally preparing to open the car door and get out, Shang Zhuoxi said something again:

“It’s dark here. Let me drop you off at the entrance of your building.” Her voice lacked any warmth, but it made Wang Shili feel at ease.

“Alright, then I’ll trouble you. At the next intersection, turn left into the first residential area,” Wang Shili immediately closed the door she had opened and returned to her original seat.

“Thank you, Shang Zhuoxi.”

“No need.”

“Or… can you leave me your phone number? I can’t just ride in your car for free,” Wang Shili took out her phone, eagerly looking at the back of Shang Zhuoxi’s head.

“I said no need,” Shang Zhuoxi pressed her hand against her forehead. Right now, all she wanted was to go home.

“Oh, okay then,” Wang Shili got out of the car and quickly wrote down Shang Zhuoxi’s license plate number. It was better than getting nothing at all.

Looking at the documents she had brought back untouched, Shang Zhuoxi smiled bitterly. How ironic it was. She had spent countless energy and time just to see An Minli being handcuffed and taken to jail. But she had been easily defeated by his daughter. If she hadn’t encountered An Chujie this time, her father could have been released this year. So… does that mean even with the evidence in her hands, her father still has to spend two more years in prison for nothing? But…

She was too tired. Shang Zhuoxi threw the thick stack of files onto the bedside table, closed her eyes, and let exhaustion drag her away.

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“Zhuoxi,” Xu Yuer gently touched Shang Zhuoxi’s cold face. Despite the exquisite makeup, Shang Zhuoxi’s exhaustion couldn’t be hidden from Xu Yuer’s eyes. However, she no longer felt the same pity as before.

“What’s wrong?” Shang Zhuoxi put down the pen in her hand and lazily looked up at Xu Yuer.

“What did you do this week?” Although Shang Zhuoxi had told everyone that she went to the mainland for a trip, Xu Yuer didn’t believe it.

Because in this office, besides Shang Zhuoxi herself, only Xu Yuer could freely enter and exit. Xu Yuer was familiar with everything in this office. She remembered the hurried expression on Shang Zhuoxi’s face when she left. So, while Shang Zhuoxi was in the bathroom, Xu Yuer took the opportunity to sneak into her office and take a look.

The part of the documents that had been sandwiched between ordinary medical records was gone. When Xu Yuer opened the drawer, the space that had been filled with documents just three days ago was now empty, except for a sun umbrella. She clearly remembered that Shang Zhuoxi would always keep some records in the lab, and those papers were always stored in the last drawer by the table. What did it mean that she took them all away? Could it be… she succeeded in her experiment? Or did she just find a new place to store them?

“…” Shang Zhuoxi didn’t want to recall what had happened that week.

“Just went to the mainland for a little vacation,” Shang Zhuoxi forced a smile, sticking to her original explanation.

“Alright, I won’t ask anymore. After work, I’ll go with you to see Uncle Shang,” Xu Yuer gave up since she couldn’t get any answers. She decided to change the topic.

“Okay.”

As they walked out of the office, Xu Yuer glanced at Shang Zhuoxi’s profile with a pensive look. What she needed to do now was to gain Shang Zhuoxi’s complete trust, just like before. Back then, Shang Zhuoxi allowed her to enter her lab. How long ago was that? It must have been almost two years.

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“Enough, enough, Yang Yiluo, don’t you get tired of calling me? I can hear you searching for topics left and right!” Tu Yi said to Yang Yiluo with a face full of disdain after hanging up the phone. Since he had a face mask on, his voice wasn’t completely clear, otherwise his high-protein mask would have been ruined.

“I just enjoy it, what business is it of yours? If she can’t start a conversation, I’ll teach her, alright?” Yang Yiluo knelt on the floor, packing her things, and explained to Tu Yi with a hint of annoyance.

Tu Yi’s slender fingers suddenly paused their massaging motion on his face. He sighed and squatted down with his head held high. He gently touched Yang Yiluo’s face, his expression of concern hidden by the mask.

“Lu, my dear brother, I truly admire you, sincerely,” Tu Yi said.

“Get lost, go away,” Yang Yiluo glanced at Tu Yi’s pale face, combined with his soft voice, the image was quite eerie. She waved her hand, dismissing him, and continued with her tasks.

“Do you know that it’s been 935 days since you fell in love with that beautiful lawyer?” Tu Yi’s hands unconsciously started counting, like a fortune teller.

“Heh, you still remember that?” Yang Yiluo was surprised by this statement, as Tu Yi usually talked nonsense.

“Of course! I care the most about my precious Yiluo,” Tu Yi proudly said, his mask suddenly distorted.

“Do you know what this means, Yang Yiluo? You’ve actually liked the same woman for over two years! I’ve dated so many men, and none lasted more than two months!” Tu Yi’s eyes widened.

Yang Yiluo stood up to grab something, and Tu Yi followed her like a little tail.

“Don’t blame me for not lasting more than two months,” Yang Yiluo casually responded to Tu Yi’s words. Right now, she just wanted to get everything sorted quickly because Nian Zichun would be coming to pick her up soon.

“You know what, two of those guys actually broke up with me because of you!” Tu Yi poked her back with his fingertips from behind.

Yang Yiluo turned around, pressed her hands firmly on Tu Yi’s shoulders, and pushed him all the way into the bathroom, closing the door for some peace and quiet.

“Hey! You crazy woman! What are you doing?” Tu Yi yelled in dissatisfaction. He accidentally caught a glimpse of his disheveled self in the mirror and immediately composed himself, putting on a smiling face as he looked at himself from different angles. Well, not bad, he still looked good when smiling.

As Yang Yiluo left, Tu Yi had already finished applying his face mask, leaving his small face looking radiant and fair.

“Why do you men take such good care of yourselves!” Yang Yiluo gritted her teeth in annoyance.

“Who says our skin can’t be naturally beautiful like you women? Oh, Xiao Luoluo, your brother loves your cute little fangs the most,” Tu Yi said, sounding like a protective older brother. He continued to give some advice to Yang Yiluo, “Remember, Lu, don’t go against the time difference and nature. Take a bath and go to bed when it gets dark. Rest well so that you can capture the ideal shots when it’s daylight, okay?” Tu Yi leaned against the doorframe, touching Yang Yiluo’s head.

“Alright, I got it. You work hard at the hospital too, so rest early,” Yang Yiluo’s heart warmed up a bit from Tu Yi’s words. But in the next moment, he destroyed his warm and caring image by saying something inappropriate. Tu Yi smirked and said, “Lu, actually, can you get me an autograph from drrela when you see her?” Tu Yi clenched his fists and covered his mouth, looking lewd.

“Why don’t you go die, Tu the bastard?!” Yang Yiluo kicked Tu Yi hard, causing him to clutch his leg in pain. She then picked up her suitcase and walked downstairs in a huff. Tu Yi held onto his injured leg, wincing.

As the door closed, Tu Yi took a deep breath, and the room became quiet. He silently sat in the corner of the sofa, folding his long body and hugging himself. His chin rested on his knees, and his reflection could be seen on the TV screen, looking just like a girl. But Yang Yiluo’s gaze never lingered on him for more than a second. Looking at Yang Yiluo’s pillow, Tu Yi’s eyes turned red.

At the age of fifteen, Yang Yiluo was bullied by her classmates, who mocked her for not having a father. It was at that moment that Tu Yi made a firm decision to protect Yang Yiluo. In order to grow taller, Tu Yi secretly started working to earn money to buy milk. He began learning to play basketball and did everything he could to promote his growth.

By the time he turned seventeen, Tu Yi had grown tall enough. With courage, he wanted to confess to the girl he had grown up with, saying, “I like you, and I want to protect you.” But just as he mustered up the courage, Yang Yiluo happened to hold another person’s hand. It was a beautiful girl who wrapped her arms around Yang Yiluo’s waist and kissed her lips, exactly on the morning when Tu Yi was about to confess…

After that, Yang Yiluo was always surrounded by girls and women. They constantly changed faces, and maybe she was just playing around. So, Tu Yi started taking care of himself, learning to apply makeup and how to be beautiful. He would accompany her in her games, thinking that one day she would tire of playing and come back to him. However, when Nian Zichun appeared, Yang Yiluo seemed to become more serious, but Tu Yi himself couldn’t go back to how things were before.