Сhарtеr 18: Willing tо Submit to Hеr
Тhе аtmоsphere in thе рrivate rоom returnеd tо whаt it hаd bееn eаrliеr.
“Теll me, how mаny romantic рrоspесts hаvе уou blосkеd with that ring on уоur finger?” Сheng Ziyan lit а cigаrette and tеasеd Hе Yu Zhоu. “Others build а single persоnа, but уоu’ve gonе аnd built а rеlationshiр pеrsona instеad.”
This wаs truly the first timе he had seеn suсh а situatiоn.
Оver the pаst two уеars, he hаd never sеen thе ring соme оff He Yu Zhоu’s finger.
Thе ring аnd thе photo made everyоnе instinctively assumе hе was taken.
Еvеn girls who were interested in him or wanted to pursue something further would hesitate to take the next step upon seeing it.
He Yu Zhou didn’t respond, instead lowering his head to look at the back of his phone.
In the photo, the girl wore an intricately crafted white gown adorned with sparkling crystals. Her slender and graceful figure stood with poise, reminiscent of a royal princess.
Her dark tea-colored hair was styled into voluminous waves cascading down her back. With a slight tilt of her head, her elegant, high-bridged nose and long, swan-like neck were accentuated.
She stood against the light, bathed in its bright glow, exuding an aura of nobility and allure.
Though her features were slightly blurred, it was still evident that she was a beauty.
This photo was taken by He Yu Zhou during the first solo performance he attended after they got together. He captured it for her in the stairwell.
It wasn’t until a kick landed on his pant leg that He Yu Zhou looked up and shifted his gaze elsewhere.
“I’m talking to you, did you hear me?” Cheng Ziyan quickly withdrew the foot he had used to kick him.
To be safe, he even moved to a seat farther away from He Yu Zhou.
This time, surprisingly, He Yu Zhou didn’t retaliate. Instead, he tucked his phone into his pocket and said, “I’m listening.”
Lu Jun clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Look at you, so hopeless.”
“Who would have thought that our proud and untamed He Yu Zhou, with a face that screams ‘player,’ would actually be all about pure love?”
Before He Yu Zhou got into a relationship, Lu Jun had never realized he was such a romantic at heart.
He Yu Zhou shot them a nonchalant glance. “If your mouths are itching, go slap yourselves a few times.”
“It’s the truth, and you won’t even let us say it?” After a brief pause, Lu Jun dropped his teasing tone and spoke earnestly. “You really should move on. Stop tormenting yourself.”
Mental torment is the cruelest and most painful way to suffer.
Cheng Ziyan also turned serious. “You and En Yu might just be fated but not meant to be. When it comes to matters of the heart, you can’t force things, right?”
He took a sip of his drink and offered some misguided advice. “Why don’t you try starting a new relationship?”
Sometimes, he wondered if his jinxing words had actually come true.
After getting together with Yin En Yu, He Yu Zhou had been eager to show off and flaunt his happiness in front of them at every opportunity. Watching him live so freely and contentedly, Cheng Ziyan, as his friend, couldn’t help but feel a mix of envy and frustration.
So, he had given Yin En Yu some mischievous advice, suggesting she help them give He Yu Zhou a hard time.
Ideally, she could make him experience what it felt like to be dumped, ensuring he’d remember it for a long time.
Who would have thought that his casual joke at the time would actually come true?
Now, he often wondered if Yin En Yu had actually taken his words to heart.
Thinking of this, Cheng Ziyan suddenly clasped his hands together, sat up on the sofa, and bowed respectfully toward He Yu Zhou.
In his heart, he silently repeated: I’m sorry, brother.
Seeing this inexplicable gesture, He Yu Zhou’s expression shifted as he looked at him. “Did you drink fake liquor?”
“It’s nothing, don’t mind me.” Cheng Ziyan waved his hand dismissively. “Just answer my earlier question first.””Do you need me to step in and help you move on from your last relationship?”
“Get lost…” He Yu Zhou’s refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back in time and asked with interest, “How would you help?”
He hadn’t realized his friend had such great skills.
He himself couldn’t let go, yet this outsider claimed he could help him.
Beside them, Lu Jun also turned his curious gaze toward Cheng Ziyan.
Cheng Ziyan puffed out his chest and raised his head, even raising his voice a few notches. “Take you to a psychiatric clinic and have the hypnotist hypnotize you directly.”
“…”
The private room fell into dead silence.
He Yu Zhou: “You should see a neurologist to get your brain treated.”
He shouldn’t have had any expectations of him—it made him look foolish.
He continued, enunciating each word clearly: “Ex-girlfriend, current girlfriend, wife—it can only be her, Yin En Yu.”
What did anyone else have to do with him?
Hearing this, Cheng Ziyan spoke without thinking, blurting out, “Well, it looks like you’re going to die alone then. En Yu definitely isn’t the type to go back to an ex.”
Before the words had fully left his mouth, an ashtray flew through the air and struck him heavily in the chest.
A dull pain spread from his chest, and Cheng Ziyan’s body jerked backward. “He Yu Zhou, are you insane?”
He showed no restraint, his verbal attacks growing even fiercer. “Resorting to violence at the slightest disagreement—no wonder En Yu broke up with you. With that temper of yours, even a dog would find you annoying.”
Before He Yu Zhou could make another move, Lu Jun quickly intervened. “Say less. Don’t add fuel to the fire.”
Cheng Ziyan stopped there, stretching his legs forward. “Fine, I won’t say anymore, lest someone goes home tonight too heartbroken to sleep.”
However, less than two seconds after falling silent, he spoke up again: “I never asked you—what reason did En Yu give when she broke up with you back then?”
He Yu Zhou’s hand gripping the wine glass tightened abruptly. Complex emotions were hidden in the dim surroundings as he raised the strong liquor in his hand and downed it in one gulp.
A burning sensation exploded in his stomach, but he showed no reaction, as if already numb and unable to feel any pain.
After a moment of silence, he uttered three words flatly and self-mockingly: “Not compatible.”
This reason made the other two freeze, expressions of surprise appearing on their faces.
How could they not be compatible?
Although his habit of flaunting their affection in front of them had been utterly detestable, they had to admit that the two of them were absolutely the most well-matched couple they had ever seen.
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could she suddenly stop loving him, without even a hint of warning, leaving him completely unprepared?
When he asked for the reason, her answer was simply the three words: “We’re not suitable.”
It made him feel that the happiness and joy she had shown during those two years they were together were nothing but his own illusions.
Lu Jun patted his shoulder twice in comfort and asked, “Do you like the noble and elegant type like Enyu?”
He didn’t understand—just how deep must a relationship be for someone to remain unable to forget it even after two years?
He Yu Zhou’s eyes dimmed, his voice slightly hoarse. “It has nothing to do with the type.”
It was her he loved. As long as it was her, he was willing to surrender.
Before meeting her, he never imagined he could love someone so decisively.
It was as if having her meant having the whole world. No matter how bustling or noisy everything outside was, it had nothing to do with him.
“You’re beyond saving. You’ve completely fallen for her,” Cheng Ziyan sighed. “Seeing you like this makes me afraid to fall in love in the future.”
“What does you not falling in love have to do with me?” He Yu Zhou’s mood might not have been great, but his fighting spirit remained intact. “It’s just that no one likes you.”
Hearing this, Cheng Ziyan let out an indignant “hey.” “Don’t look down on me. There’s already a long line of people chasing after me.”
“It’s just that I don’t like any of them.”
Suddenly, Cheng Ziyan changed the subject. Perhaps he had watched too many melodramatic TV shows, as he inexplicably asked, “By the way, back then, didn’t you ever think about forcing Enyu to stay by your side?”
He Yu Zhou shot him a look as if he were an idiot and gave him an unassailable answer: “That’s illegal.”
Even when they broke up at the height of their love, he never once thought of forcing or threatening her to stay by his side. Doing so would be no different from personally clipping her wings—a cruel act of harm.
She should always be bright and vibrant, as dazzling as light itself.
Cheng Ziyan marveled in disbelief. “I never realized you had such high principles.”
Lu Jun saw through it all. “It mainly depends on who you’re dealing with.”
It wasn’t until 2 a.m. that the three of them left the bar. They had all drunk quite a bit, but He Yu Zhou had consumed the most, downing glass after glass as if his life depended on it.
Sitting in the car his driver had come to pick him up in, He Yu Zhou leaned back in the seat, looking somewhat exhausted. He lightly massaged his temples with two fingers, closing his eyes to rest.
While drinking, he hadn’t felt much, but now that he was in the car, his head began to ache faintly, feeling unusually heavy.
A burning sensation also rose in his stomach.
The driver in front glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “Mr. He, should I go buy you some hangover medicine?”
He Yu Zhou replied, “No need.”
The car drove smoothly along the empty streets, the interior silent and still. The man in the back seat kept his eyes tightly shut, as if asleep.
Suddenly, a sharp honk from outside shattered the tranquility inside the car. He Yu Zhou frowned and opened his eyes.
“How much longer?” he asked, his voice raspy, as he picked up a bottle of mineral water from beside him, unscrewed it, and took a few sips.
This slightly eased his discomfort.
“About ten more minutes,” the driver replied, fully focused on the road.
He Yu Zhou turned to look out the window. Under the dim yellow streetlights, magnolia trees flashed by one after another before his eyes.Not knowing what he had thought of, he suddenly took his phone out of his pocket, opened the call interface, and dialed the contact at the top.
The ringtone echoed inside the car, each ring striking rhythmically and regularly. However, until the call automatically disconnected, no one on the other end picked up.
He Yu Zhou held the phone and lowered his gaze. The screen’s light automatically dimmed, and the faint glimmer in his eyes faded along with it, replaced by disappointment and loneliness.
He seemed enveloped by a heavy atmosphere.
A self-mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips. Why hadn’t he learned his lesson? Why did he still hold expectations for her?
Expecting her to appear before him, caring for him as she had in the past?