Chapter 27: Intense Joke
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
"Listen to my explanation, just one sentence!" It was not easy for Jun Youyue to say such a long sentence in one breath.
She had rehearsed it over and over in her mind before she could finish her words so smoothly.
Lu Xici heard it.
But she didn't want to listen to Jun Youyue's explanation. She desperately wanted to forget everything related to Jun Youyue and was afraid that this stop would hinder her hard-earned determination.
Fortunately, she was wearing flat shoes today. Lu Xici dashed towards the kitchen as if fleeing for her life.
As long as she found her mother's friend, she could slip away from Jun Youyue's sight.
Treating everything that happened today as an inconsequential episode, she'll head back to the hotel, get drunk, and forget it all.
"Can you, let me finish what I'm saying!" Jun Youyue was still chasing.
When Lu Xici heard the sound, she suddenly felt like retching.
Her emotions were too intense, and her body responded accordingly, in an equally intense manner.
Fortunately, all the people in charge of things in this hotel know Lu Xici.
The head chef heard the commotion outside and went out of the kitchen. She saw that the boss's friend's daughter was being chased by an unknown person, so she quickly stepped forward and pulled Lu Xici away.
At the same time, she told the waiters to drive Jun Youyue out, who seemed to have malicious intentions.
Lu Xici was escorted out of Jun Youyue's sight by an acquaintance.
Jun Youyue was also stopped and nearly shoved out of the restaurant.
The hotel door was slammed shut, making Jun Youyue tremble.
She could hardly stand still, staggered twice, and fell to the ground, and then tears fell like rain, relentlessly falling onto the steps.
Lu Xici didn't want to see her, nor did she want to hear her explanation.
It feels like she dug a hole in her heart, creating a huge wound, and then sprinkled salt on it.
She was in terrible pain and looked at the closed door.
She was really abandoned by Lu Xici.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=7288969
"Are you okay?" In the restaurant, the head chef, who had just helped Lu Xici, handed her a glass of water and asked.
Accepting it, Lu Xici also stopped the head chef from calling her boss. "Thank you, I just need a moment."
Leaning back in her chair, Lu Xici still felt a little unreal.
She wanted to recall what had just happened, but she found her memory only held a blurry figure.
If it wasn't for the overwhelming distress, she couldn't even recognize the back figure in her recollections.
She seems to be a bit fragmented.
Lu Xici rubbed her head and stared blankly at the smoking iron pot not far away, still unable to remember any details that might cause her pain.
The head chef was too curious but couldn't ask anything, so she had to go aside and do her own work.
Within five minutes, Lu Xici had regained her strength and left the restaurant.
No matter how memories are fragmented, alcohol still needs to be drunk.
Lu Xici wanted her family's driver to stop at a liquor store on the way back to the hotel but was firmly refused.
"Miss, during the last time Auntie Liu visited the hotel where you were filming, they found a pile of alcohol. She has ordered us to watch over you and not let you drink like that again."
The bodyguard, who also doubled as a driver, was stern and impartial. He strictly followed Butler Liu's orders and firmly refused to indulge Lu Xici.
Lu Xici looked regretful.
She had made a momentary error, leading the housekeeper to discover her hidden alcohol.
But it's been at least ten days or even half a month since then. Isn't it time to lift the alcohol ban on her?
"Just one bottle, please~"
"No, Miss. If you ask again, I'll report it to Auntie Liu."
Lu Xici was furious but speechless, daring to be angry but not daring to speak.
In this household, the person who controlled her the most was not Lu Tingyi, but Butler Liu, almost like half of Lu Xici's mother.
If she dared to argue with Butler Liu, her mother would come to scold her.
Lu Xici pouted and furrowed her brow.
She was already an adult, almost twenty-four years old. What's wrong with having a little drink?
One day, she would bid farewell to Auntie Liu's control and live a life of drinking freedom.
She opened her phone, the screen still displaying the chat with "Shang Shixu."
This person... they just met, right?
But why did the silhouette in her memory resemble Jun Youyue's so much?
Lu Xici was stunned. Before she could react, she stopped thinking, mechanically clicked on the glacier avatar, and added the other person to the block list.
Everything seemed like instinctive actions; she couldn't even explain the reason.
Just seeing this person made her feel nauseous and dizzy, unwilling to stay for even a second.
Her brain's defense mechanism kicked in.
After doing all this, she remained unfazed, devoid of any emotional ripples. She swiped down and opened the conversation with Song Liufeng.
Lu Xici: [Hey, good sister, could I ask your assistant to bring me two bottles of alcohol?]
Song Liufeng was probably still eating and could freely use her phone, so she responded quickly.
Song Liufeng: [Okay, white, red, or beer, what brand?]
Lu Xici: [Whatever, the degree doesn’t need to be too high]
Song Liufeng: [Okeke~ Do you want to drink together? Starry Eyes/Looking forward]
Lu Xici: [No, thanks. I can't handle alcohol well. Just planning to have a bit for better sleep before bed.]
Lu Xici, under her brain's self-defense mechanism, barely avoided continuing an emotional breakdown. However, it was different for Jun Youyue.
She really wanted to explain things to Lu Xici, to make her change her mind.
She even fantasized that if things went well tonight, she could return to their matrimonial home with Lu Xici, and she could make breakfast for Lu Xici in the morning.
But Lu Xici ran away directly and she couldn't catch up.
The more beautiful the ideal, the more painful the reality.
Jun Youyue didn't even take a taxi.
She shed tears along the way.
At first, she sobbed quietly. She still had the strength to take out her phone, wanting to send her memoir to Lu Xici.
Trembling, she repeatedly slipped but finally managed to send the file. Then, she saw that all too familiar, terrifying exclamation mark.
Lu Xici blocked her again.
The venomous snake spits out red venom and bit Jun Youyue hard. The bite on her unhealed wound made it even more painful.
Now Jun Youyue couldn't help but burst into tears. She didn't care about the looks of passers-by. The faster she walked, the more obvious her crying became.
There is only a cold wind in the early spring evening.
The cold wind on her face felt cold, but the wounds it exposed hurt her heart.
The tears were distinctly warm but felt temperatureless on her back hand, mingling with the cold wind, eventually assaulting her heart, riddled with a thousand holes.
She didn't know how long she ran.
Jun Youyue finally lost some strength, staggering and slowing down her pace, her body still trembling uncontrollably.
She raised her eyes, not knowing where she was. She only knew that the time had passed from near dusk to after sunset. The sky was dark and the light of the street lamp was dim, unable to illuminate the entire garden.
She is probably in some park. Jun Youyue fell on the bench, opened her phone again, and tried to send Lu Xici a friend request.
Of course, there is no result.
She has been blocked, with both accounts, and her application cannot be sent out, just like her feelings can never be conveyed.
She was sobbing, the warmth from the exercise gradually dissipated, and even her body began to feel cold.
When she was most helpless and sad, Jun Youyue didn't even want to find her sister.
She clicked on the photo album, and the pictures that used to bring her happiness could only continue to hurt her heart.
She wanted to delete it, just like Lu Xici threw her away.
But she clicked it, looked at Lu Xici's dazzling smile, and then exited. She couldn't bear to delete even one picture.
She just stared blankly for a long time. Many people passed by her, but no one stopped.
As the pedestrians grew scarce, Jun Youyue checked the time; it was already late, and she needed to go back.
Just when she opened the taxi-hailing app and entered the address of their matrimonial home, she received a call.
The caller ID looked familiar as if it was joking with her.
It was from Lu Xici.
Jun Youyue rubbed her eyes, still brimming with tears, making sure she wasn't mistaken.
But she didn't know if she wanted to answer or not.
Even if there were misunderstandings between them, Lu Xici had hurt her deeply enough.
Why didn't she stop and listen to her explanation earlier? Even five minutes might have been enough.
Calling her now, was it because she regretted something and wanted to make amends?
She raised the corners of her mouth in a rare self-mockery, touched the screen with a languid expression, and her finger floated to the red key.
She hung up twice in succession, as if seeking revenge, but felt no satisfaction in her retaliation.
She thought of a possibility.
The person who called her was not the sober Lu Xici, but the drunk one.
It could be the Lu Xici who would act cute because she couldn't see her, the one who would find ways to call her back home when she overworked herself.
Almost instantly, Jun Youyue regretted her recent actions.
She hastily returned Lu Xici's call, coincidentally catching her on the third attempt.
As she heard that familiar "Jun-jiejie," Jun Youyue inexplicably felt relieved yet also somewhat disappointed.
It turned out that the only one who would proactively contact her was the tipsy Lu Xici.
"Did you hang up on me just now because... I ran away tonight?" Lu Xici's voice was somewhat ambiguous, but it was evident she was being cautious.
Jun Youyue furrowed her brow. She was a bit puzzled by the situation.
Based on her earlier analysis, the intoxicated Lu Xici before and after drinking didn't share memories related to her.
So, when Lu Xici encountered her while drunk initially, it was as if they hadn't known each other before, asking who she was.
The sober Lu Xici, who hadn't touched alcohol, certainly wouldn't have memories of an evening filled with emotional turmoil, leading her to consider divorce due to not receiving Jun Youyue's response.
How did the Lu Xici who had come for their appointment without drinking know about this?
"What?" Just to confirm she hadn't misheard, Jun Youyue asked.
"It's, um... I'm not entirely sure, but it seems like after seeing you at the restaurant, I... I ran away?" Lu Xici's voice trailed off uncertainly.
The drunk Lu Xici had all the forgotten memories.
This time, under the influence of alcohol, she felt extremely low emotionally. Subconsciously, she wanted to call Jun Youyue and seek comfort, but she remembered her attitude seemed unpleasant just a few hours ago.
The reason for using "seemed" was that her memory was incomplete.
Lu Xici hadn't buried the entire segment of memories deep into her subconscious. She retained a vague impression, which led to the unclear fragmented recollections she experienced while drunk.
Jun Youyue took a deep breath.
She urgently wanted to clarify the situation. Her entire being suddenly became alert, and she regained warmth in her body.
"Let's meet. Are you in the hotel?"
Author's Note:
I haven't written about it yet, but the next chapter will definitely include the synopsis plot! Don't be impatient!
Decided to release two chapters today, let's refresh together! It's two chapters today!