Chapter 361 - Any Other Schemes?
Perhaps he’s been an idiot all along. He thought he was clever and had plotted everything, but he had forgotten the most important thing: he was human, and he too had feelings.
If only he had been less calculating, then perhaps he might not be in such a situation now.
A drop of blood appeared in his palm again. He had once again pricked his finger, resulting in yet another hole. Under the dim light, his documents were stacked on a pile to the side.
Beside him was a box holding tiny white pearls, so small that the holes in them were difficult to find.
Yet he still focused intently as he wove the pearls together one by one. He had once destroyed her happiness, and so he would return her happiness no matter what.
Li Manni stood in the living room like a fool, staring fixed on the door that was shut tight. Her usually gentle face was weary and frosty. She turned around and shut herself in the other room.
Two doors, two rooms, two worlds. This was the reason they could never close the distance between them again.
...
“Ruoxin...” Gao Yi tapped the table with his fingers. The woman sitting opposite him was staring into space, and it wasn’t just for a minute or two. She was like this ever since she returned. He glanced at his watch. It had been at least half an hour. What was she so preoccupied with?
“Ruoxin.” He called out again. Xia Ruoxin was still holding on to the chopsticks, bringing the rice to her mouth from time to time. She had been eating from the small bowl for half an hour, but she was still left with the entire bowl. If this went on, he really didn’t know if she could even finish her food by tomorrow morning, or if it would grow mold first.
He took the chopsticks from Xia Ruoxin’s hand, which made her come to her senses. She stared strangely at her hand.
“Why are my chopsticks with you?” She stared at Gao Yi’s hand, puzzled, while her hand was empty.
“Look at your bowl. How long have you been eating? Even Rainy, a child, has finished her food, but you haven’t. Why, is there sand in the rice... or poison?”
Gao Yi said and placed the chopsticks back into her hand. His eyebrows wrinkled slightly.
“Oh, I forgot.” Xia Ruoxin put down the bowl in her hands in a hurry. Her hands were actually slightly numb. Sure enough, there was a lot of rice left. She had been so lost in thought that she had forgotten to eat.
Rainy just widened her eyes in curiosity and tilted her head. “Mommy, the food is delicious. Rainy ate a lot.” She picked up her bowl, which didn’t have a single grain of rice left. She ate really cleanly because her mom had told her not to waste food.
“Good girl, Rainy. Go do your homework.” Gao Yi gently rubbed Rainy’s soft hair. He wanted to talk to Xia Ruoxin. He wasn’t so silly to not notice that she was obviously worried.
“Okay.” Rainy nodded obediently. She jumped down from the chair and ran into the room. She had a lot of homework to do, and she would do it alone just fine.
“Ruoxin.” Gao Yi placed a hand on Xia Ruoxin’s shoulders after Rainy entered the room. “Tell me what’s wrong. Did something happen?”
The sudden warmth on her shoulder made her raise her head, and she paused a while before she shook her head at last. “Nothing happened.” She tried to smile naturally, but that was when she realized that she wasn’t very good at pretending.
Especially in front of Gao Yi. She had never lied to him before.
“Ruoxin, don’t hide it from me. Did you meet someone who made you uncomfortable?” Gao Yi was extremely observant and could spot that she was acting differently from usual.
She was obviously lying, and she couldn’t pull off a lie if her life depended on it. It was written all over her face and eyes that she was lying.
Xia Ruoxin’s was feeling distressed and felt suffocated. She lowered her head in silence. She thought that everything had ended between her and Chu Lui, but she never thought that things would go this way. He said that he knew he had done wrong, but was it just another scheme of his to make her more miserable?
She didn’t believe anything regarding that man anymore, but he still rattled her heart. She didn’t want to see him or meet him anymore. He was her nightmare, her hell.
“Ruoxin, tell me.” Gao Yi’s fingers rested on Xia Ruoxin’s cheeks. He wished she could open her heart to him. Keeping everything in like this was bad for her health.
Xia Ruoxin reached out and took Gao Yi’s hand, feeling the warmth on his fingertips. She was still hesitating.
“Gao Yi, I’ve never told you anything about me. Do you want to listen now?” She stared at Gao Yi’s face, which was always facing her with gentleness. She didn’t want to hide everything from him anymore.
“I said that I will wait for you. If you feel that the time is right, then you can tell me.” Gao Yi stood up and pulled Xia Ruoxin to the sofa. He sat down and wrapped a hand around her shoulders. He knew it would be a long story.
It might not be a happy story... because he had never seen an ounce of happiness on her from head to toe.
“Do you know? When Rainy was sick, there were two donors whose blood marrow was suitable for her.” Xia Ruoxin placed her hands on her lap, but Gao Yi took held them in his hands, giving her warmth and the courage to continue speaking. She wasn’t willing to speak of the past as it was too bitter, too tough, and too painful.
“I’ve heard. The other one was a guy with the surname ‘Chu’. The surgery was underway, but he suddenly left for abroad?” Gao Yi’s brows were furrowed. He had never understood that. What could be more important than a child’s life? If he hadn’t rushed back in time, Rainy would have been dead. The child was already at her weakest point at that time and would only have lasted for a few days.
“Yes.” Xia Ruoxin nodded, her eyes blurring. “His name is Chu Lui, the CEO of the Chu Enterprise, and... he’s Rainy’s biological father.” Her words hung heavily in the air. She felt her fist being held tightly. Gao Yi stayed silent and listened quietly.