Later, however, Ci Wenjun realized she had completely overthought it.
Chu Yu had not paid any attention to her, nor had she made a fuss over anything.
To be precise, Chu Yu had left.
This was the twelfth day Ci Wenjun had come downstairs, yet during these twelve days, she had not caught a single glimpse of Chu Yu.
At first, she simply assumed Chu Yu was staying cooped up at home and refusing to come out.
Yet she came every single day, every single night, until the residents of this building were practically familiar with her face.
As a top luxury residential complex, the security here was among the best in Shenzhen, with each building equipped with an independent security system and personnel to provide residents with top-tier service.
Ci Wenjun owned a property in this complex, which was the only reason she had been able to get inside instead of being dragged off by the guards. When she had first followed Chu Yu back, she could not help feeling a quiet sense of triumph inside.
Yet the complex’s rigorous security system quickly shattered those illusions.
She had never expected that the very reason she chose this complex in the past would now become the greatest obstacle to winning Chu Yu back.
Still, she quickly comforted herself. This was already good enough; at the very least, they were in the same residential complex and relatively close. As long as she persisted, she would eventually be able to wait for her like a farmer waiting by a stump for a hare.
Today was bitterly cold.
She had wrapped herself in a trench coat because she harbored the secret hope of seeing Chu Yu, wanting to look her best.
And looking one’s best often required sacrificing a bit of warmth.
After all, fashion over comfort, right?
Thus, in this weather hovering two degrees below zero, Ci Wenjun wore a cashmere high-necked lining inside, a beige knee-length trench coat outside, and a scarf wrapped around her neck that served more as an ornament than insulation.
She stood shivering in the chilling wind.
The last time, it had been just as cold, and Chu Yu had taken her back home.
What about today?
If she stayed close to Chu Yu, would she take her home again?
It was just a pity that it was not raining today.
Chu Yu would not be handing her another jacket.
Before she could dwell on it much longer, an elderly woman slowly walked out of the unit entrance.
The woman was advanced in years, her hair a cascade of silver, yet her eyes radiated gentleness. Through the layers of wrinkles, one could see the traces of someone who had been tenderly cared for by time.
The woman walked right up to her.
“Child, on such a cold day, why are you still waiting down here?”
Ci Wenjun smiled. She was naturally gentle-featured, though she rarely smiled in recent years, which made her look cold and unapproachable. Now, as she smiled, an inherent warmth radiated from her.
She did not speak.
The woman’s surname was Zhang, and her full name was Zhang Chenjing. She came out for her daily exercise around this exact time every day. About a month ago, this beautiful young woman had started lingering downstairs in their residential complex.
Their complex had always used security as a major selling point, and she trusted the security measures.
Anyone who could get in was either a homeowner or someone guaranteed and registered by a homeowner.
In short, she could not possibly be a bad person.
Even if she were a bad person, she couldn’t keep sneaking in for days on end without the guards noticing.
With that assurance, Grandma Zhang had paid plenty of attention to this young woman during her walks down here.
Initially, she had no desire to meddle in other people’s business.
After all, she was just old, not senile; she knew that today’s young people had very strong minds and hated having old folks meddling in their affairs.
Yet the weather was getting colder by the day, and this young woman kept coming over dressed up prettily, standing down here for hours at a time. Sometimes she and her elderly friends went further out for a walk, and by the time they returned, it was already dark, yet the girl was still there. Even though the weather outside was cold, mosquitoes and bugs were still around, especially with that howling evening wind blowing relentlessly; how grueling it must be.
She watched as the girl’s face turned pale from the cold and her lips grew cyan; how frightening that looked!
Nowadays, which young person wasn’t treated like a precious treasure? How could anyone endure this kind of suffering?
The old woman watched it day after day, perhaps truly because she was getting older, her heart inevitably overflowing with pity for the younger generation.
When she got home, she mulled over it again.
She finally decided that if the girl still came tomorrow, she would act like an ordinary passerby, drop a few simple words of advice, and accept it if her kindness was taken for ill intent.
Sure enough, down she came today, and the girl was here again.
Sigh, what on earth was going on with all of this?
She let out a soft sigh, weighed her words, and walked up to Ci Wenjun.
Up close, this girl was truly strikingly pretty and refined.
She spoke up, and the girl smiled back at her, looking somewhat distressed.
And naturally so; if it were an easy matter, she wouldn’t have stood here for so many days.
A few guesses flashed through Zhang Chenjing’s mind, but she kept them to herself. She was here to care for a child, not to pry into other people’s privacy.
“Child, no matter what kind of fallout you’ve had with a friend, torturing yourself like this is no way to live. Grandma has seen you here for many days. Standing like this every day is too much for your body; sooner or later, you’re going to fall ill.”
Ci Wenjun smiled at the old woman, raising her voice to reply.
“It is alright, Grandma. Thank you for your concern, but I believe she will come down very soon.”
In the end, her smile looked somewhat forced.
She knew the old woman was concerned about her, and she felt deeply grateful in her heart.
The old woman was actually right; her body could no longer take it.
These past couple of days, she had been running an intermittent, persistent low-grade fever, alternating between chills and hot flashes.
She knew she was reaching her limit.
Yet she refused to resign herself to defeat.
She had not seen Chu Yu for twelve whole days.
Twelve whole days.
Ci Wenjun’s mind was filled entirely with Chu Yu’s figure.
She had left her phone number for Chu Yu, but Chu Yu had not called her even once.
And to this day, she still does not have Chu Yu’s contact information.
In this relationship, the moment she stopped taking the initiative, they would completely lose touch.
She did not want that. She did not want to miss Chu Yu, so even if she fell ill, she had to come; even if she could barely stand, she still had to come.
The old woman did not understand the intricacies between them, but she could clearly see the stubbornness in Ci Wenjun’s eyes.
She figured this must be someone extremely important to her.
Understanding this, she decided to stop while she was ahead.
Just before leaving, she said to Ci Wenjun.
“Girl, I won’t lecture you, but the weather is far too cold. You must wear more clothes. Whoever you are waiting for, loving yourself is always the foundation.”
She pointed toward the electronic screen near the unit entrance.
“If she refuses to pick up your phone calls, just use that to contact her. You just need to enter their house number. Whatever conflicts you have, it is always better to talk them out in the open.”
With that, the old woman turned and left.
She had delayed a bit too long tonight; she couldn’t keep her friends waiting any longer.
Just as she was walking out of the complex gates, a girl with frost-tipped eyebrows hurried past her, dragging a suitcase.
These days, young girls really were growing prettier and more striking.
Not long after Zhang Chenjing left, Ci Wenjun stirred her stiffened, frozen body.
She was well aware of the method Zhang Chenjing had mentioned. Since she was also a homeowner, she knew how to contact other residents.
However, she hadn’t used it previously because she didn’t want to pressure Chu Yu.
Yet right now, she felt her body might genuinely be reaching its limit.
Waves of intense heat and bone-chilling cold washed over her, accompanied by cold sweats.
She had been running a fever for days; collapsing was only a matter of time. If not today, then tomorrow, the day after, or the day after that.
Ci Wenjun took a step forward, and her body swayed uncontrollably.
She smiled bitterly and helplessly.
It seemed her luck was poor, so today was the day.
She wondered how long she would be bedridden this time if she fell sick.
Even so, before heading back, she still wanted to see Chu Yu one last time.
She truly missed Chu Yu so much!
For twelve entire days without contact, she had no idea how she had managed to survive them.
She had even crossed into terrifying thoughts. Had Chu Yu moved away behind her back?
No!
Ci Wenjun frantically suppressed the wild thoughts threatening to overtake her mind.
She could not think like that, she must not think like that.
Just entertaining the thought for a second made her feel like she was losing her mind.
She couldn’t let that happen. Chu Yu must not disappear again!
Clutching this obsession like a lifeline, acting almost deranged, as if trying to prove something, she appeared under Chu Yu’s building like clockwork every day.
She dared not stay away.
Only by standing here, only by doing this could she temporarily suppress those terrifying thoughts.
Even though the next day, they would rush back with even greater fury.
Therefore, she had to see Chu Yu today.
She had to see her!
Please, Chu Yu, you have to be here!
Even if you deliberately pretend not to see me, no matter what, I can accept it.
As long as you haven’t truly left.
As long as you haven’t gone away.
As long as you are still here.
I will still have the strength to keep living.
Chu Yu…
Trembling, she walked up to that black electronic screen and pressed the buttons for Chu Yu’s apartment number.
Beep, beep, beep.
The artificial intelligence system is currently connecting you to the homeowner of 2401.
Beep, beep, beep.
It was a transfer process as long and agonizing as a century, filled with endless beeping sounds.
Chu Yu, please pick up the phone.
Just answer it once.
Pick it up!
Even if you only pick it up to curse at me and tell me to get lost.
Please, Chu Yu, prove that you are still here.
The illness scrambled her brain completely, feeling as though a heavy mallet were pounding against it over and over again.
It hurt; it hurt so much that her face turned deathly pale, so much that she wanted to cry.
This is so agonizing!
Chu Yu, I am in so much pain!
Chu Yu, I am sorry. Did I disgust you that much?
Chu Yu, did I scare you away?
Chu Yu, please forgive me. Don’t leave, don’t walk away, don’t do this.
Don’t punish me like this.
You know very well that I cannot endure this; it is far too cruel.
How can you make me experience losing you a second time?
Chu Yu, stop hiding from me!
Don’t do this.
With reddened eyes, Ci Wenjun had no idea what she was doing. She only knew to mechanically, over and over again, repeatedly and endlessly make the artificial intelligence broadcast the call to 2401, as if doing so would keep the Chu Yu hiding inside alive and present.
Chu Yu had not left. She was simply angry; she just didn’t want to deal with her.
That must be it; it had to be.
Clinging to it like a drowning person clutching a final straw, her fingers trembling uncontrollably, she repeated the action endlessly.
Soon, this abnormal operation caught the attention of the security guard. Normally, three failed call attempts would strip someone of their calling privileges for the day, and five consecutive rule-breaking operations would trigger facial recognition by the artificial intelligence, blacklisting the individual.
Yet Ci Wenjun had already lost her sanity; high fever had locked her intellect far away, leaving only the purest instinct, Chu Yu.
The security guard was right inside and quickly came out.
Before he could even ask anything, a woman appeared directly behind Ci Wenjun.
“Homeowner of 2401.”
Chu Yu’s cold, indifferent gaze swept over the security guard.
The guard was startled for a moment, but still braced himself to step forward and inquire.
“Miss Chu, this lady here…”
In a slightly anxious tone, Chu Yu interrupted the guard.
“I know. I am terribly sorry for causing you trouble. She is delirious with fever and didn’t mean it. I will take full responsibility for any problems she has caused. Could you please step aside now? I am taking her home.”
The guard closed his mouth and smoothly took the suitcase Chu Yu had thrown aside in her rush, escorting them all the way up to the twenty-fourth floor.
“Thank you.”
Leaving behind a brief expression of gratitude, Chu Yu hurried to bring Ci Wenjun into the bedroom and settle her onto the bed.
In truth, she had arrived downstairs a while ago. From afar, she had spotted Ci Wenjun slumped over the electronic screen by her building entrance, and with a slight turn of her mind, she had instantly figured out what the woman was trying to do.
Thus, she had simply stayed put to see when this woman would realize that the person she was looking for was right here. Of course, another reason was that she wasn’t entirely sure whether she should face Ci Wenjun.
To her dismay, however, Ci Wenjun had acted as though she were possessed, continuously pressing against the electronic screen, typing and re-typing. Her phone had received two consecutive notifications until the second message included a photo snapped by the artificial intelligence, showing a woman with pale lips, an unnatural flush on her cheeks, and eyes rimmed with angry, terrifying red.
Only then did Chu Yu realize that Ci Wenjun was sick, and severely so.
Looking back at that crooked, unsteady figure, she realized the woman hadn’t been performing any bizarre actions at all; she was simply so ill she was on the verge of collapsing!
Realizing this, Chu Yu completely panicked. Throwing caution and her luggage to the wind, she rushed over, losing every shred of her usual calm and collected compos