The meal was eaten amidst their playful bickering. By the time the dishes had grown lukewarm, Xie Shu felt it was the most delicious meal he had ever had.
After driving Xie Shu away, who wanted to stay the night, Shen Jianxi threw herself onto the bed. She was utterly exhausted from the day. She had felt sleepy at Fu Yi's place in the afternoon, and now her eyes wouldn't stay open. With the last bit of strength, she changed clothes, washed up, and finally succumbed to deep sleep.
Xie Shu, who had been kicked downstairs, watched until the light upstairs was turned off before turning away with a relieved but heavy expression.
*
"You're here," the male voice from the stairwell was so soft it didn't even trigger the voice-activated light.
But Xie Shu caught it instantly. He stopped, his gaze wary as he looked at the silhouette in the darkness, and said coldly, "It was you, as expected."
"What are you talking about? What 'it was me'?" Fu Yi chuckled and stepped out of the darkness.
"Do you still find it amusing to play dumb? If you didn't know what I was talking about, why would you be here now!"
Hearing this, Fu Yi burst into laughter and applauded.
Xie Shu stood still, watching him with cold indifference. Once Fu Yi stopped, he threatened, "Stay away from Shen Jianxi, or I won't let you off!"
A smile of unknown meaning played on Fu Yi's lips, malice evident in his eyes. He walked behind Xie Shu, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Oh really? Then I'm looking forward to it. And, I'm quite interested in your girlfriend too."
Upon hearing the latter half of the sentence, Xie Shu could no longer contain himself. He spun around, grabbed Fu Yi by the collar, and roared, "Fu Yi, how dare you!"
Fu Yi's demeanor shifted back to one of harmless innocence. He tilted his head and looked at Xie Shu innocently, asking, "Why would I not dare?"
Xie Shu released his grip. Suddenly, he lowered his head and let out a light laugh. He raised his head and mockingly looked at Fu Yi, sneering, "Fu Yi, you're just like your father."
"Just as perverse."
"Just like a rat in the gutter."
"Just as disgusting."
"Your father is trash, and so are you."
Fu Yi's expression finally broke. He suddenly grabbed Xie Shu's neck, his hands tightening with a ferocious strength. "No! We are not the same. He's an idiot, but I'm not."
Fu Yi's sudden move caught Xie Shu off guard, and he was pinned against a utility pole before he could retaliate.
"Don't you dare compare me to him! Don't you dare!"
Xie Shu gritted his teeth, forcing out each word with difficulty, "Admit it, you're just scum."
Fu Yi suddenly calmed down, released his grip, and looked at Xie Shu, who had fallen to the ground coughing uncontrollably. He sneered, "Shen Jianxi seems to quite like me. Do you know, when I asked her to come home with me today, she didn't even hesitate."
Then, he slowly crouched down and whispered, "You care about her, don't you? Then I'll snatch her away."
"Admit it, we're the same kind of people."
"The game has begun, Xie Shu. Enjoy it."
With that, he stood up, delivered a powerful kick to Xie Shu's stomach, and walked away, humming an unknown tune.
On the ground, curled up in a ball, Xie Shu's face turned ashen when he heard the melody. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. His eyes were tightly shut, his whole body trembling.
A tear slid from the corner of his eye.
Who could save him...
*
Song Duanli returned home reeking of alcohol. He looked at the dark, silent villa and slumped onto the sofa, covering his face. It had been a whole day, and he couldn't find her anywhere. He didn't even know where else to look.
During the day, while working, he couldn't stop worrying if she was being bullied, or if she had enough money.
But then again, the worst bullying she had suffered had come from him. What right did he have to worry?
The silence in the house irritated him. Even during their cold wars, he hadn't felt this agitated.
He tugged forcefully at his tie, and then he heard it from his phone—
"Hello! The number you have dialed is switched off."
"Sorry! The subscriber you dialed is power off..."
Only then did Song Duanli realize he had unconsciously called her again.
Feeling the dense, throbbing pain in his heart and all over his body, his face turned pale.
He threw his phone, which hit the table with a loud crash, cracking the screen. As if oblivious, he walked straight towards his room.
Midway, he seemed to recall something. He turned back, stared coldly at his phone, and finally picked it up. He made a call—
"Send everyone out to find her now. Turn this place upside down if you have to."
He admitted it. He was losing his mind. He couldn't stand not seeing her.
Wen Ze, hearing the ferocity in his boss's voice, was instantly wide awake. He cursed under his breath, got out of bed, and put on his clothes. Before leaving, he kissed his girlfriend's forehead and softly said, "Go back to sleep, the boss needs me."
"Is your boss crazy? What time is it?" his girlfriend mumbled sleepily. Wen Ze didn't have time to say more. He grabbed his phone and rushed out.
On the way, he grumbled into the phone. His boss was indeed crazy, ruining other people's evenings because he didn't have a partner himself! But what could he do? The salary was high. The life of a salaryman was truly miserable.