The Hot-tempered Young Master and His Village Flower Child Bride - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

After Chu Zhi Lu left, Zhao Xunyu lost interest in his work.

Wen Jiang leaned in conspiratorially. “Dude, you’ve been drained dry! Look at the marks on your neck. They’re practically indecent! Aren’t you afraid you’ll hit a major artery and drop dead?”

Zhao Xunyu’s neck and the area behind his ears were covered in hickeys, which he had deliberately concealed with a collared shirt. Unfazed by the revelation, he touched his neck and shrugged. “Even if I die, it’ll be a sacrifice for love—a glorious death, a death well-deserved.”

Wen Jiang made a gesture of admiration. “So your girlfriend just lets you drive that ridiculously cool sports car?”

Zhao Xunyu clapped him on the shoulder. “Take notes, buddy. When your girlfriend loves you this much, what’s a sports car?”

In reality, his girlfriend, who supposedly adored him, had given him the cold shoulder all day. It was his own fault for being a smart*ss at the airport. As he saw her off, he said, “I’m still angry about you calling me an old relic yesterday. I just don’t want to argue with you while we’re together, so I’m going to start a cold war with you as soon as you board the plane. I’ll talk to you after you get off.”

Chu Zhi Lu replied, “I didn’t get mad when you offended me.”

Zhao Xunyu retorted confidently, “Because I’m telling the truth. You are h*rny. Chu Zhizhi, the h*rny wolf.”

Chu Zhi Lu remained expressionless. “Oh, now I’m angry, too. Let’s have a cold war today.”

After landing, Chu Zhi Lu didn’t text him to let him know she’d arrived safely. Zhao Xunyu asked, [ Zhizhi, did you get there okay? ]

[Yeah]

Zhao Xunyu: Cold war over. Let’s chat happily now. 

Chu Zhi Lu ignored him. She didn’t reply to any of the flurry of messages he sent afterward. When he video-called, she hung up, letting him know she was safe but deliberately refusing to respond.

Zhao Xunyu took a break from his busy schedule to send her a WeChat message, going from provocation to seduction.

[Are you really going to have a cold war with me? You are so childish, Chu Zhizhi]

—[Reply to see a hot guy showering. HD and uncensored. (drooling face emoji)]

Chu Zhizhi’s chat window remained stubbornly silent.

He snuck back to his car and got ar*used thinking about her. Then, he sent her two photos of his er*ct p*nis: Woo woo woo baby, I miss you.

Then, feeling a little embarrassed, he spammed a bunch of pitiful-looking sticker packs to push the photos up in the chat history.

Still, she remained as unmoving as a mountain.

[I was wrong. I shouldn’t have gotten mad. I shouldn’t have given you the cold shoulder. I shouldn’t have called you h*rny.]

[Zhizhi, don’t ignore me! How can I live without you?]

After finally finishing work at 6:30 p.m., Zhao Xunyu’s video call to Chu Zhi Lu finally connected. He held up his phone in the car. “Chu Zhizhi, you’re being too much! Ignoring me until now?”

Chu Zhi Lu’s phone was lying flat, her face out of the frame. Zhao Xunyu was left staring at the ceiling and a chandelier. “Isn’t replying to even one of your messages during our cold war being merciful?”

Zhao Xunyu whined pitifully. “I was just joking!”

“I wasn’t joking, and I warned you beforehand.”

Zhao Xunyu scratched his head. “Can’t I make amends for my mistakes? Can’t I change? Next time, you can argue or even fight with me, but you can’t ignore me for so long again.”

“Who’s arguing or fighting with you? How childish!”

“Right, right, right, I’m childish,” Zhao Xunyu readily admitted, taking full responsibility. “I’ll change. I promise I’ll change.”

Chu Zhi Lu sent him a screenshot of their chat window where the two great images that should have been displayed were missing.

Zhao Xunyu was puzzled. “Hey, did my pictures get censored?”

“I deleted them. I’m abstaining from l*st.”

Zhao Xunyu raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Did you really not save the message before deleting it?”

Finally, Chu Zhi Lu picked up her phone and gave Zhao Xunyu a chance to see her face. “Let’s have another day of the cold war.”

“No, no, no! I was wrong! I was being l*cherous and projecting my own thoughts onto you. Please forgive me; you’re so generous.”

There was no need for a black-and-white confrontation or to cross lines of unforgivable behavior. Often, conflicts between couples escalate from minor squabbles like this one.

After his internship ended and he returned to campus life, Zhao Xunyu was filled with profound feelings of regret. You don’t appreciate the beauty of student life until you’ve been treated like a beast of burden. The ivory tower wasn’t just a figure of speech.

As they entered their third year, campus life and the outside world began to merge. It was a gradual and friendly transition, with the looming questions of further education and employment starting to surface but not yet crashing down on them as sudden, urgent decisions.

The young couple had discussed their plans for graduate school, agreeing that a master’s degree was essential. Chu Zhi Lu planned to secure a guaranteed admission spot, which wouldn’t be difficult for her. Zhao Xunyu, on the other hand, aimed to get into D University, a better school than his current one located not far from Chu Zhi Lu. Zhao Qingtang planned to open a branch office nearby, which would allow Zhao Xunyu to continue interning at the company.

With their goals set, another year of hard work and hopeful anticipation lay ahead.

Zhao Xunyu’s dorm mates noticed him spending every day at the library from dawn till dusk. They secretly suspected that his girlfriend had dumped him, turning his grief into motivation.

However, this theory barely took root before their secret glee was shattered when Chu Zhi Lu came to visit Zhao Xunyu.

Seeing how clingy he was, no one could doubt that their relationship was perfectly fine.

Yang Xiuzhu was probably the most annoyed of the dorm mates. During their first group dinner, his girlfriend added Chu Zhi Lu on WeChat and became obsessed with monitoring their relationship. Whenever she noticed that Chu Zhi Lu hadn’t posted anything about Zhao Xunyu in a while, she bombarded them with questions about whether they had broken up. At first, it was tolerable, but after repeated inquiries, Yang Xiuzhu grew increasingly irritated and argued with her. Now, they were just going through the motions. It seemed likely that Yang Xiuzhu would break up with his girlfriend before Zhao Xunyu split with Chu Zhi Lu.

Even before the graduate school admission results were announced, news broke that Chu Zhi Lu and her senior sister had established their own company.

Their entrepreneurial venture had gone remarkably smoothly. The university provided policy support, and the department head helped connect them with key contacts. Through skillful negotiation, they secured a collaboration agreement with the university itself.

The department head and Chu Zhi Lu’s academic advisor had high expectations for her. 

“Starting a company is just the first step. Plan carefully, provide clear direction for your junior classmates, and offer a reliable fallback option. Academically, you must also set a good example. Think long-term. Many teachers in our school have companies under their names. As long as you are willing, this can be achieved at the same time.”

Chu Zhi Lu understood and promised to refine her plans.

Zhao Xunyu pressed his head against the hollow of her neck. “President Chu,” he murmured. “You’ll be out there conquering the world while I stay home taking care of the family, doing laundry, and cooking. I’ll obey your every command and cater to your every whim. Just promise you won’t abandon this humble husband of yours.”

Chu Zhi Lu shot him a sidelong glance, suppressing the urge to push him away, and played along. “Don’t be so pessimistic. Focus on living in the present.”

Zhao Xunyu playfully punched her arm, his voice tinged with resentment. “President Chu, why are you dodging the question? Can’t you just answer me directly? This dazzling world is so distracting—are you already losing interest in me? I guess money really does corrupt people. Even you’re not immune…”

Chu Zhi Lu smoothed the goosebumps on her arm. “Only knowledge will never betray you. You haven’t studied for ten minutes. Go study now. If you don’t improve, I’ll like you even less.”

Zhao Xunyu clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak. “President Chu, you’re so cruel…”

Chu Zhi Lu stood up, grabbed her textbook, and hit him on the head with it. The impact felt surprisingly satisfying. She tossed the book into his lap, exhaled sharply, and said coldly, “Don’t blame me for being realistic. This dazzling world is distracting. If you don’t keep improving, you’ll vanish into the crowd. How am I supposed to notice you then?”

Zhao Xunyu shook his head, muttering, “Right… you’re right… no one will unconditionally love me forever. I have to work hard. I have to strive! Abandon, abandon, abandon…“

Chu Zhi Lu sighed.

Forget it.

Throughout Zhao Xunyu’s exam preparation, Chu Zhi Lu served as both his academic tutor and his spiritual mentor.

During high school, the looming specter of the college entrance exam had kept everyone focused. Teachers and parents relentlessly urged students forward, doing everything they could to push them toward success. They demanded that students stay on track and maintain their momentum. Applying for graduate school was different. Now, autonomy reigned supreme. No one demanded further education, and any sign of wavering was met with suggestions that other paths existed and that working was just as viable. This atmosphere fostered a mindset where giving up seemed like a perfectly acceptable option.

Even his father, Zhao Qingtang, argued that a bachelor’s degree was sufficient to inherit the family business, rendering graduate school unnecessary. Only Chu Zhi Lu remained steadfast in her support. Through moments of inspiration, confusion, complacency, despair, and near collapse, she offered encouragement and understanding, making her slender shoulders feel like the safest place in the world.

As the exam approached, Chu Zhi Lu’s emotional stability radiated to Zhao Xunyu, grounding him. He grew increasingly confident and free from self-doubt and anxiety about his progress.

Of course, as the exam drew nearer, his emotions still fluctuated, like the agonizing wait before dawn breaks. He knew the light was coming, but the final trial had yet to begin.

At ten o’clock the night before the exam, Chu Zhi Lu leaned against the headboard while Zhao Xunyu lay with his head in her lap. The room was lit only by a small orange lamp that cast a warm, dim glow.

Chu Zhi Lu stroked his hair with one hand and gently touched his slightly gaunt cheek with the other. “Nervous?”

“A little. My heart’s racing, and I can’t fall asleep.”

“Should I sing you to sleep?”

Zhao Xunyu opened his eyes. “Didn’t you say you’re tone-deaf?” He’d never heard Chu Zhi Lu sing before.

“I can learn a few songs if I focus on them.”

Zhao Xunyu hummed appreciatively. He turned on his side, pressed his head against Chu Zhi Lu’s lower abdomen, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re the best, baby.”

Chu Zhi Lu gently guided him to lie back properly. He pulled the pillow down, nestled his face against her chest, and closed his eyes, looking utterly content.

Without accompaniment or lyrics, her voice was soft and soothing, like warm moonlight slowly spreading through the room.

“I was found on the ground by the fountain… At valder fields and was almost dry… Lying in the sun after I had tried…“

Her voice was as gentle as if she were soothing a baby; her hand patted his back rhythmically.

Gradually, she felt the person in her arms breathe slowly and evenly.

Her hand continued its gentle rhythm and her voice its soothing melody while the nightlight cast a warm glow over the cozy room.