msmithbooks Chapter 173 Why are you crying?
Chapter 173 Why are you crying?
Zhao Xiulan still organized a gathering.
The day after the game, she went to the steel factory to find Lin Shuyao and invited her to her home for lunch the next day. Lin Shuyao didn't think much of it; she had nothing else to do anyway. The next day, she bought some gifts and went to Zhao Xiulan's house.
The door opened, and Zhao Xiulan greeted Lin Shuyao with a smile.
"Shuyao, you're too kind. You came all this way, and you even brought so many things."
"I saw it on the way and bought some."
"Don't spend so much next time. By the way, I heard from Sister Chunmei that you have amnesia. Look who I invited today."
Zhao Xiulan led Lin Shuyao inside, then turned to the side so Lin Shuyao could see the people sitting at the dining table. Lin Shuyao's mind was still replaying Zhao Xiulan's last words. Her gaze naturally swept forward, but the next second, she suddenly stopped, frozen in place as if struck by a pressure point.
What's Cheng Zheng doing here?
"Shuyao, this is your boyfriend, Comrade Chengzheng. See if you can remember anything?" Zhao Xiulan's voice continued, but Lin Shuyao couldn't hear anything. All she could hear was a buzzing echo in her head.
She stared intently at Cheng Zheng. He seemed to have lost weight, his facial features becoming more defined, but the only thing that remained unchanged was his eyes, dark and deep, with a hint of scarlet at the corners, making her heart tremble.
"Shuyao?" Zhao Xiulan gently patted Lin Shuyao's arm. "Do you remember her? Do you still recognize her?"
Lin Shuyao suddenly came to her senses, bit the soft flesh under her lower lip, and said softly, "I... I don't recognize you."
As she said those words, her heart pounded with fear, and her gaze darted around him. But for now, feigning amnesia was the only way to get by; otherwise, she truly didn't know how to face him.
It was so sudden; she was completely unprepared.
When she said she didn't know her, Cheng Zheng's lips curled into a mocking smile. He didn't say anything, calmly shifting his gaze away from her face, his expression cold and indifferent, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.
Before meeting Lin Shuyao, Jin Song wondered what kind of person could have driven Cheng Zheng to such a state. His buddy had seen beautiful women before; even the leading lady of the performing arts troupe had pursued him, but he'd rejected her without batting an eye, not even giving her a second glance. In his eyes, even the most beautiful woman was just two eyes and a nose—how beautiful could she be?
After meeting Lin Shuyao, he finally understood why Cheng Zheng had failed.
This girl is incredibly beautiful. Her skin is as white and smooth as tofu, dazzling the eye the moment she stands in front of you. She has a small face, large eyes with bright, dark pupils that seem to float in a clear spring; one look from her and you'd want to give her your heart. Her neck is beautiful too, a swan-like neck, like a ballerina's, giving her an elegant air. Her waist is so slender, Cheng Zheng estimates he could easily encircle it with one hand.
If a young wife runs away, what man wouldn't be heartbroken, drown his sorrows in alcohol all night, and search for her like a madman?
"It's okay, you can think about it again if you can't remember." Jin Song patted Cheng Zheng's shoulder reassuringly, then stood up and extended his hand to Lin Shuyao, "Hello sister-in-law, I'm Jin Song, and I'm very close friends with Brother Zheng."
"Hello." Lin Shuyao belatedly extended her hand and shook hands with Jin Song. Her fingers were white and slender, her nails pink and sparkling like flower petals. Jin Song didn't dare to really shake her hand; he only touched it briefly before withdrawing it.
Lin Shuyao lowered her hands and subconsciously looked at Cheng Zheng.
He used to be incredibly possessive; he couldn't stand anyone touching her, not even a handshake. Once, when they were out, she shook hands with a man, and he lingered for a few seconds. When they got back, he was unhappy and dragged her hand to the tap, lathering it with soap several times. When no one was around, he would hold each of her fingers and kiss them repeatedly before letting go.
When we can't kiss, I play with her hands, squeezing her small hands in my big palm, rubbing them with my rough fingertips, intertwining our fingers tightly. Sometimes we rub our fingers together a few times, and we both react; it's purely a physiological attraction.
But now, Cheng Zheng had a cold face, didn't even lift his eyelids, and didn't even look at her.
Lin Shuyao had imagined their reunion many times, assuming he would hate her and question her, but she never imagined he would be so cold, treating her like a complete stranger. Even though she was the one who ran away first and claimed not to know him when they met, she couldn't bear it when he treated her the same way.
She knew she was being hypocritical, but she still felt terrible. It was as if something had twisted her chest, a bitter feeling welling up inside her, making her nose and eyes sting, and she wanted to cry. She glanced at Cheng Zheng again, her eyes red and swollen, but he still didn't look at her.
Jin Song noticed that Lin Shuyao was acting strangely: "Sister-in-law, did you remember something?"
Lin Shuyao felt a pang of sadness, but she stubbornly replied, "No."
Jin Song nudged Cheng Zheng's leg under the table with his foot, giving him a look that suggested he look at his wife. Cheng Zheng remained unmoved, still cold and aloof, his brow furrowed, his thin lips pursed, and his jaw taut.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Zhao Xiulan's husband, Qi Dawei, said, "Come on, everyone, sit down and let's eat." He then winked at his wife.
Zhao Xiulan understood, and pushed Lin Shuyao's shoulder, pressing her down into the seat next to Cheng Zheng, "Shuyao, you sit here, sit with your boyfriend."
Lin Shuyao sat down next to Cheng Zheng, instantly enveloped by his oppressive aura. She carefully picked up her bowl, gripped her chopsticks, and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He didn't even turn his head in her direction, his cold, hard profile remaining fixed on her.
The people at the table watched the two eat their food like strangers, neither saying a word. One claimed to have amnesia, but showed no curiosity whatsoever—shouldn't a person with normal amnesia have many questions when they see someone they know? The other was even stranger; yesterday he was anxious to find a partner, acting like he was in a real hurry, but today he didn't speak to anyone, keeping a cold face as if he didn't recognize his partner.
Zhao Xiulan and her husband exchanged bewildered glances with Jin Song.
The atmosphere couldn't stay this tense, so Zhao Xiulan casually started a conversation: "Shuyao, which team won the basketball game yesterday?"
"The steel mill," Lin Shuyao answered softly.
"Sister Chunmei's son is on the basketball team, right? When I went to the factory to see you today, I heard a lot of people talking about him. They said he scored the most points yesterday, over fifty points by himself, he's amazing! Several women even blushed when they talked about him. Hey, is he dating anyone?"
No, I don't think so.
"Don't you know? Don't you live with him?"
No sooner had Zhao Xiulan finished speaking than Lin Shuyao heard a "smack." She turned around and saw Cheng Zheng put his chopsticks down on the table, then stand up and say to Zhao Xiulan and her husband, "Thank you for your hospitality today. I have something to attend to, so I'll have to go first. I'll treat you another day." After saying this, he nodded to the two of them, greeted Jin Song, and then opened the door and left without looking back.
"Hey! Brother Zheng? Where are we going?" Jin Song called out from behind, looking confused.
What's wrong with this guy? His wife is still here, doesn't he want her anymore?
Zhao Xiulan and her husband looked at the doorway, then at Lin Shuyao, both of them completely bewildered.
Lin Shuyao stared at the closed door, her eyes instantly reddening. She hadn't expected him to be unwilling to even have a meal with her, turning his back on her and leaving in a huff. Moreover, he greeted everyone else politely as he left, but skipped over her, as if he couldn't be bothered to even acknowledge her.
She lowered her head sadly, staring intently at the rice in her bowl, tears welling in her eyes. She tried desperately to hold them back, but couldn't. The tears fell into the bowl with a pattering sound.
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong? What did you remember?" Jin Song came back to his senses and panicked when he saw Lin Shuyao's tears rolling down her cheeks like they were free.
"Shuyao, what's wrong? Don't cry, tell us what's wrong." Zhao Xiulan also expressed her concern.
Lin Shuyao's shoulders twitched twice, and she shook her head. She dared not make a sound, afraid that she would burst into tears if she did, which would be incredibly pathetic.
Jin Song, being a policeman, did have some observational skills. He suddenly realized—this didn't seem like amnesia at all; it was clearly not!
Why would someone with normal amnesia cry if they don't remember the other person? Besides, Cheng Zheng was initially in a hurry to find a wife, but yesterday he went to the steel factory, happened to catch a basketball game, glanced at it, and suddenly said he was giving up and left. Today at dinner, Zhao Xiulan mentioned the basketball game and Zhou Chunmei's son again, and Cheng Zheng left unhappily again.
Jin Song immediately understood what was going on.
"Sister-in-law, go and comfort Zheng Ge. He's practically searched the entire train line from Guangzhou to Beijing for the past month just to find you. He rushed over from Beijing a few days ago after receiving your message, spending almost forty hours on the train without closing his eyes. And all those things you hid from him—if he really wanted to hold it against you, why would he be searching for you everywhere?"
Upon hearing the last sentence, Lin Shuyao suddenly looked up in shock, tears welling in her eyes, as if she had realized something.
She stood up, hastily wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, and ran outside.
She flung open the door, ran downstairs with a thud, and reached the outside of Zhao Xiulan's residential compound. She stood by the roadside, looking left and right. Where was Cheng Zheng?
He really left; he didn't want her anymore.
She immediately pouted, her shoulders trembling, and stood by the roadside, crying loudly.
Her face was streaked with tears, and she looked so pitiful.
"Don't you not recognize me? Why are you crying?"
A low, cold voice suddenly came from behind.
Lin Shuyao turned her head with teary eyes and saw Cheng Zheng standing behind her by the wall of the family compound. His tall figure leaned against the wall, one hand in his pocket, his dark eyes filled with a hint of mockery as he stared at her wet face.