“Who is it?” said Lu Yi, stopping in his tracks. “How long are you planning on following us?”
He turned and gazed at the corner of a wall coolly.
At the other corner of the wall, was a woman whose face was covered by bandages. She shrunk at Lu Yi’s warning and brought her hand to her face. In that instant, all that courage she had mustered dissipated.
She was afraid.
Lu Yi remained at his spot, his narrowed eyes looking dangerous.
“Lu Yi…” someone called out suddenly. A woman walked out and stood across him.
Lu Yi’s eyes returned to normal. He lifted his daughter up with one hand and fished out his car keys with the other, paying no attention to the woman.
When the woman realized she was being ignored, she took a quick step forward to put herself right before Lu Yi.
“Yes?” asked Lu Yi carelessly. His indifferent attitude and apathetic tone made the woman feel less than a stranger.
This attitude again, thought the woman bitterly as she clenched her fingers and stared at Lu Yi. Her hair was dyed, and she wore branded clothes and a pair of high-heels.
Her glossy hair was nicely-done and fashionable, only to be ruined by an old-fashioned hair clip that made her look like she just walked out from the 60s.
She wasn’t pretty—most likely because of her naturally stern face and stiff expression. Even after dolling up, she looked like a nun—and not just any nun—but Abbess Miejue herself.
“Lu Yi…” said the woman, pushing her black-framed spectacles up. “We need to talk.”
Lu Yi looked down. His daughter had fallen asleep while sucking her thumb. For a moment, Lu Yi saw Yan Huan superimposed onto their daughter; her long lashes looked so much like hers.
“There’s nothing to talk about between us, Fang Zhu.”
With that, he unlocked the car door and carefully ensconced Xunxun into the safety seat. He then entered the car and made to leave.
“Give me a lift, won’t you? I’m on the way to school,” said the woman, scuttling behind him. Fang Zhu was no longer the prideful woman she once was.
Her outfit, mentality, and temperament had changed completely.
She was in her thirties, but still unmarried. In this world, Lu Yi seemed like the only one who was willing to marry her. In her past few years, she had been vain and prideful, but somehow she couldn’t help but compare all her boyfriends to Lu Yi.
And none of them matched up to him, in terms of height, background, temperament, or occupation.
In the end, she concluded that they were meant to be with each other.
That was why she was here. She was Fang Zhu—she was special. She had always been an elite, and always got her hands on whatever she wanted. Lu Yi shouldn’t be an exception.
And now was her best chance.
Others might not know that Yan Huan was missing, but she did.
And she was missing for nearly half-a-year, which seemed no different from death to Fang Zhu. Therefore, she had come to reclaim what was hers.
She stood before the car to make her intentions clear: she wouldn’t leave until Lu Yi gives her a lift, or runs her over.
According to her student: “You have to be shameless to woo a man successfully, Miss Fang! You have to put everything on the line if you come across an excellent man. If you are willing to give up everything for him, you will surely conquer him!”
And so she came. With her new makeover, she thought she stood a good chance at succeeding.
She had always been a cocksure woman, but before him, her confidence wavered. She didn’t bother resorting to underhanded methods either, because she knew they wouldn’t work on him.
Lu Yi remained in the car. The car light blinked.
Fang Zhu ventured and gave the car door a light twist. The door opened. Exultant, she quickly slid in.
Lu Yi stepped on the gas. The car zoomed off.
In the carpark, lights flickered and wind, issuing from some corridor, whistled. The place seemed inexplicably… eerie.
Some people might feel afraid in such a place, but the woman hiding in the corner only felt cold.
The masked woman, curled into a ball, was shivering. Was it from the cold, or something else?
She looked up occasionally, her long lashes that looked exactly like the aforementioned little girl’s quivering in the wind. Was she crying? No one knows.
Lu Yi drove steadily and slowly on the main road, avoiding any shortcuts he encountered.
Fang Zhu sat in the car, a little ill at ease. She didn’t notice it at first, but soon she realized Lu Yi was driving too slowly. She wouldn’t be able to make it to her classes in time at this rate.
She glanced at her wristwatch.
If the car had been traveling at a normal speed, she should’ve reached long ago, but she was only half-way there now. It was like riding a snail.
“Can you speed up, Lu Yi?” asked Fang Zhu, a little anxious. She wasn’t on leave on that day, and had merely chanced upon Lu Yi. If she knew she was going to bump into him, she would have applied for leave. Then she wouldn’t need to rush. There was a mock exam later, and it was too late for her to change the timing of the exam since it had been decided long ago.
Lu Yi pulled up by the road.
“What’s wrong?” asked Fang Zhu, confused. She tightened her seatbelt. Sweat beaded on her forehead. In the past, Lu Yi succumbed to her every demand. Now it was the other way round.
“If you are in a rush, go,” said Lu Yi indifferently, his voice cool and unfriendly. Fang Zhu wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. In the end, she gritted her teeth and pulled the car door open. Just as she was about to get off, her eyes met a large pair of bright eyes that looked like black pearls, hidden beneath long, curly lashes.
This child…
